Return of Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goon
by texasPanzer
Summary: Stupendous Man and Night Prowler are on the case when the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons return. Redone!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of The Batman or Calvin and Hobbes. They are owned by Warner Brothers and Bill Watterson.

_"Lurking in the shadows of the city, he leaps from roof top to roof top. The moon and stars are his light as his gaze falls on the populous below. Unconcerned, the go about their tranquil lives with ease as their protector moves on. Who is this protector of the innocent? None other than Stupendous Man!"_

Screeching to a stop in the middle of his room, arms flexed to show his not so rippling biceps. A hood, a red blanket, cloaked his eyes that gave an eerie appearnce as the fly snapped in the breeze of a running fan. _"Stupendous Man can see all and no mortal enemy can stand up to his might"_

A voice from behind the bed announced, _"Especially when he has his partner, Night Prowler"_ With that, Hobbes jumped onto the bed. With a mighty roar, he made his presense known. A glint of light caught his exposed teeth that made them shine like polished steel. Together, they were an unstoppable force that could be comparable to Batman and Robin. For the past week, our duo have been stirred in a comic book craze. Littered on the floor and bed were comics of their very own creation, "Stupendous Man" in large, bold font up top, with "Night Prowler" slightly smaller at the bottom. Their doodles were a fantasy, for their eyes only. Much of the story line made no sense with great, often feats of physics that could never be accomplished, but they relished the life where anything came come true.

"That's right ol' buddy," Stupedous Man said in a deep voice, "The two of us will protect the fine citizens of the city from crime, evil doers, and girls!" taking up a dramatic pose, the two stood proud for a moment, then a voice came from below.

"Calvin, let's go, I want to get to the bank before the line stretches all the way around the block."

That was mom. Today was a saturday, as well as the first of the month, so now hundreds of people were crowding in to cash their government checks.

Sigh. Calvin, disappointed that he was demoted back to his civilian life, removed his cape, folded, tucked under one arm, grabbed Hobbes and hustled down the stairs. Greeting him at the front door was mom, a purse hanging from a shoulder, and a upset look on her face. "I don't want to be late, Calvin, Dad needs to have these checks cashed by monday" she said.

"Sorry, Mom, but Hobbes and I were protecting the city from girls" Calvin smiled up.

"Oh? Then what about me? I'm a girl" she asked.

"You're a mom, that is different" he said.

"That's good to know" Mom said as she opened up the door and headed towards the car. Calvin raced out and climbed into the backseat, strapped Hobbes in his seat belt and began whispering stuff into his ears. When Mom sat in the driver's seat, she said to him, "Do you think I can trust you to wait in the car while I go into the bank?"

"Sure, mom" with a smile.

"I don't want a repeat of last time." she warned while looking in the rear view mirror.

"Honest, mom, Hobbes and I will guard the car with our lives."

Nodding in acceptance, Mom activated the car and the group began the trek into down town. It was a leasurely ride with the city abuzz in activity to clean up following the winter storm. The streets were plowed and salted, and school was out for vacation. Every business had a christmas theme decoration and lights pulsates in different bright neon colors that caught Calvin's eye each and every time. When they reached the bank at last, they found that it wasn't open yet, and to Mom's relief, there was no line at all. "Thank, God" she sighed as she eased into a parking spot behind the building.

"Now, wait here" she said, "I'll just be ten minutes. When I come back, we'll go for ice cream"

Holding up a smile, Calvin waved his mother farewell and watched as she disappeared towards the front of the red brick building.

"Great, with the absense of mom comes the presense of Stupendous Man!" Calvin exclaimed as he threw cape back one.

"Stupendous Man, there's a bank robbery downtown" Hobbes said as he climbed into the drivers seat.

"Night Prowler, take us to the bank and we'll catch the robbers"

Imitating driving at high speed, our duo went flying down roads, turning sharply, and reading from monitors that did not exist. "Do you think Batgirl will be there?" Hobbes childishly giggled.

"What?" Calvin yelled in surprise, "No girls! Remember? We are suppose to be fighting them."

"Aww, but she's so cute. Almost as cute as Susie" with a wide grin.

"I'll slap you" Calvin muttered as he folded his arms.

"Go ahead, girls dig scars"

While the two squabbled about, something sinister was taking place not too far away. While mom huddled amongst the group in his parka, several more outsiders began to form around them. And one of these was not looking to make a deposit, rather a large withdrawal. From behind, this man produced a lengthy knife and pushed his way rapidly through the crowd, threatening to cut those that tried to resist. "Give me your money" he demanded in a heavy voice. Without question, many patrons turned over their cash, seeing as how checks were useless in his hands. Greedily taking what he could, the man hustled away around the bank with several men in hot pursuit.

"Stop! Stop." they commanded, but the man did not obey. Light on his feet, he ducked between parked cars to dogged his pursuers. Hobbes took a glance through his side window and saw all this and alerted Calvin whom was pretending that he was using onboard laser cannons.

"Hey, look what's happening outside"

Taking a gander, Calvin was amazed to see the foot chase, but it was over in seconds, the good samaritans tackled the robber and subdued him. "Whoa, it's just like cops" Calvin said gleefully as the robber was taken back. "dude, that was so cool. too bad there wasn't a shootout."

"That would have been cool" Hobbes concured.

Their sentiments continued to be the same as an emotionally disturbed mother brought them home hours later. She had suceeded in depositing the much needed checks, but the moment of addrenalin, and the threat of painful injury hung in her mind as well as the safety of her child that tears were streaming down her face. What if the man wanted to take a hostage? Her son could have been it. When they returned home, Mom said next to nothing. After hanging up her parka on the coat rack, she choked out some words through her tears, "Stay close to home till Dad comes home" With that, she went upstairs and collasped on their bed, leaving Calvin to fend for himself for the rest of the afternoon outside. The whole incident transpired in just a few seconds, yet, it replayed in their minds over and over again. It fueled their desire to be what they desired the most, to be "super heroes".

Sitting in front of the television in the easy chair, Calvin turned to his buddy and said, "That was so cool. There was a news van, police, and everything"

"I know, I was there." Hobbes replied with a smirk.

"Oh, right. Too bad they didn't interview us." lowering his face, only to be jerked back up by Hobbes' comment.

"Right, we could have taken that goon down," slamming his fist into an open palm.

"Yes. what if he did? What if we could?

"What?" asked Hobbes.

"What if we were super heroes. We could protect Mom from danger, as well as the citizens of this city."

"That would be cool" Hobbes thought as his white paws stroked the bottom of his chin.

"When the sun goes down, the terror will rise. But when they do come out, they fear us, Stupendous Man and..."

"Night Prowler!"

"Stupendous Man, there's a bank robbery down town"

"I'll take flight." Calvin yelled, "You will take the Stupendous Car and meet me at the bank.

Saluting in compliance, Hobbes climbed back into the car and simulated in reving it's engine. Meanwhile, Calvin ran behind the house, arms thrusted forward, and fingers formed into fists. He was flying. In his mind, the image of the robber running by kept playing, "You won't escape" he yelled, spinning in circles. He was hot on the robber's tail. "Night Prowler, come quickly, I have our foe within my grasp"

Just as he said that, there came a mighty roar from up front. I did not sound like Hobbes, something bigger. Galloping back over his foot steps, Calvin came back to discover Night Prowler trapped inside the Stupendous Car with a Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goon rocking it back and forth.

"Not you!" exclaiming loudly.

The goon's attention drifted to Calvin and, with a roar, began to charge forth. This goon was remarkably different that those of the past, it was hidous with real eyes that burned with fire, a body that seemed to glisten like ice, and when Stupendous Man thrusted his fist into it's gut, he discovered that it also had bones of iron.

"Not good"

The goon back handed Stupendous Man and he sailed through the air like a toy, landing hard on the ice covered grass. Painfully lifting himself up, he looked about to find that Night Prowler had escaped from his soon to be tomb, and was at his side.

"I thought we took care of those things" Night Prowler said.

"Apparently not. But these ones are different. They don't look like the ones I built."

The goon charged again, flailing it's mighty arms that smashed both of them back into the hard earth. Recovering quickly, Prowler glared his teeth and lunged forth at his assailent, counter attacking with his claws that tore through armor and exposed it's iron bones. It wasn't enough, the goon continued to beat Hobbes. With every blow that Prowler would land, two more were dealt to him. Calvin had to do something to save his friend, but what? He was just a boy, and this was different that the war previously. Looking about for a weapon, a random thought entered his puny mind.

"Move out of the way!" Calvin said cupping his hands around his mouth, "Let me use my powers"

"What? You have no powers!" yelled Hobbes. Calvin must have gone stir crazy at the moment, his puny size and strength was no match to lift an entire car. "Just throw rocks at it's head" weezing through breaths as the grip grew tighter. He tried to kick his way free, but succeeded in only chipping away at ice armor. It was incredibly strong stuff. As for Calvin, he appeared to be uneffected in obeying Hobbes' order and made it all the way to the sedan. With no keys, how would he bear it as a weapon? A thought entered his mind at the snap of a finger, lift it.

"I'll save you, Night Prowler." he thought as he grasped the chilled metal bumper and, lifting with all of his might, began to lift the behemonth into the air until it was over his head.

"Da Da Da!" he sang in triumph.

Hearing this, the goon, still clunching Night Prowler in his mighty hands, looked over his shoulder and it's heart beat rapidly in aprehension at what it saw. A sedan sailing right for it. Before it could react, the sedan was parked ontop with Night Prowler resting dangerously close to one wheel. Painfully, he picked himself up. His temple throbbed with each pulsation. Holding his paws on his injury, Hobbes staggered over to Stupendous Man with a very concerned look on his long face.

"How did you do that?" panting for breath as he tore the severed hands clasped around his throat.

"I'm...I'm not sure" replied an equally cocerned Calvin, "I just had a thought, like a super hero. Next thing I knew, I was lifting a car." Both of them looked at the car, smashed on it's side with the skeleton of the goon pinned underneath.

"Do you think it's dead?" asked Hobbes looking down at a mound of unsifted snow.

"I'm not sure. These things are remarkably flexible. But the most important question is, where did it come from? Who made it?" Calvin replied.

Pushing together, they removed the car to show a skeleton buried underneth, not of bone but of metal.

Pointing at the unusual structure, Calvin asked the blantly obvious, "Is that natural?"

Shaking his head negatively, Hobbes did not answer. Instead, he squatted down and reached his paw into a small mound. Underneth, he could feel cold metal in the shape of a box. Slowly, he pulled it out. It was split wide open, but judging from the wires and it's position relative to the body, it must be a modem of sorts. A cluster of wires were connected to round eye balls that dangled on the end.

Calvin was taken aback, "Gross"

"Relax, they aren't real. We should take this inside this inside so the neighbors don't see. We need to judge for ourselves what we are dealing with."

Nodding in a agreement, Calvin peered around, there was a not a soul to be found. How could anyone not be drawn by the crash of a car is anyone's guess, but before asking anything further, Calvin quietly placed back the sedan while Hobbes gathered up the skeleton. "Where can we go?" he asked. "Your mom will freak if we take all this inside."

"How about the garage?"

Placing the car back in it's original spot, the two dragged the body back inside and barred all the doors to prevent mom from ease dropping. Placed on a table, Hobbes throughly looked over the skeleton as Calvin paced up and down behind him, throwing theories into the wind about how their arch nemisis could have returned from the grave.

"What if, the goons have evolved, began building themselves out of stronger material. No, or it's a secret government program that went awry. No, or it's an evil alien race bent on controlling the world."

Hobbes did not hear any of it. So wrapped up in his work was he on this one computer he first salvaged that all around him was a void. It was incredible materiel. Even though smashed up from the fight, it was still first rate, quality made stuff. Not refuge from dumps. A couch potato could not have come up with something like this. No. It had to be someone with the knowledge and experience, and a properly equipped shop to make something like this. If there was one, he thought, then there would be more. While Stupendous Man continued to rant, Hobbes pulled out key compoents from the goon's main frame and took them under a microscope. There had to be a serial number or a marking to tell where these parts came from. Perhaps then, they could find whom they sold the parts to. It was something at least.

"I think you can throw out your alien theory" Hobbes said gazing down onto the table.

"What do you mean?" Calvin replied freezing in his steps.

"While you were jabbering, I pulled out several components and began to look for serial numbers and such. And I think I found one."

Looking through a wide convex lense, they saw a piece of pipe that was once a bone, with an etching. It looked like the ace of spades.

"What does that mean?" Calvin asked as he pulled away from the glass.

Placing his own eye over it, Hobbes said, "It could mean a lot of things. The ace of spades is known as the death card. Could be a company trade mark or just a logo."

Looking down the steel spine, it was amazing to see how incredibly detailed it was. Survos, wire, all encased in steel plates that allowed it to flex and bend like a real spine does. A pelvis housed gyros and some sort of computer device unlike the controller at it's head. What moved it was the flexing movements of the pelvis, much like a snake moves with it's muscles. Impressive. After a few more minutes of examination, Hobbes turned to Calvin, "Best as I can figure it, these goons are better in many respects, but they lose one key advantage."

Calvin looked on quietly.

"They cannot reproduce more of themselves on the spot. These skeletons are the key to their being. Someone with a remote or computer programed them to do their bidding."

Rubbing his chin, Calvin said, "So an evil doer is at the wheel."

Hobbes nodded in agreement.

"Is there any way of tracking down where a remote signal is coming from?"

Looking at the components then back at Stupendous Man, "If there was, it's long gone when you slammed the car on him."

Shrugging his shoulders, Calvin asked with concern on his face, "Then what do we do now?"

"Well," Hobbes surmised, "If there is one, there are bound to be more. I mean, someone spent a lot of money on this goon, they are, or more of them will be around here looking for it. I say we drag it back outside and lay an ambush."

"Terrific!" clapping his hands together. "I'll grab some paper and we can draw out the plan."

With his friend rushing back into the house, Hobbes turned his gaze back down at the snow goon's skeleton, "I just hope this turns into the Alamo again."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of The Batman or Calvin and Hobbes. They are owned by Warner Brothers and Bill Watterson. 

Coming back with an arm fool of paper and crayons tucked under one armpit. Immediately, he picked out one piece, selected a black crayon. Speaking as he drew, Calvin gave his idea, "We place the body near the road, where it can be easily seen. We'll keep watch from my bed room window." 

"And if one shows up?" 

"We'll use our combined powers to take it down." 

Twiddling his thumbs, Hobbes thought for a second, "Just to be on the safe side, I suggest we build some weapons, just in case." 

Calvin rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Alright, you big baby. We'll build some clubs." 

An hour passed, nothing happened. Counting seconds off the clock, they became increasingly bored. No one was moving on the streets. Why? Someone must notice this skeleton. The creator must be looking for it. Peering from the upper window, the two began to become complacent and stepped down from their perch and let their attention drift to other matters. What is some kind of prank? Hobbes did not think so, but if no one comes around, then they have to dispose of the skeleton before dad finds it. While he was thinking that, Calvin was trying to come up with an excuse as to how the car was damaged. The truth could not be believed. 

"I still can't believe you lifted that car. How did you do that?" 

"I'm not sure. I thought I could give it a try and I did. It was so cool. There was a rush in my arms and hands, like when I eat Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs." 

"Can you do it again? Try lifting that dresser." 

Setting down his crayons, Calvin approached the dresser next to the door. Looking it over, he doubted in his mind that he could lift it. He placed one hand on opposite sides and tried to lift it with a groan, but it did not budge. "No dice" rubbing his brow. 

"Hmm, perhaps we should try something else." 

Before it could register in Calvin's mind exactly what, a baseball sailed through the air and struck him in the shoulder. It was a soft blow considering the padding coming from his winter coat, but it still was enough to be felt and Calvin, needless to say, was very angry. 

"I'll get you" he cursed. With no hesitation, he grabbed the dresser and held it high above his head 

. 

"That's it!" Hobbes smiled, "Your power comes from Adrenalin. When I was endangered, you were scared and that is how you gained power, and now when you are angry, your power came back." 

Looking above, Calvin thought it over, "Whoa, you're right." suddenly, the blood flow to his hands was stymied and control was lost. "Ugh! Help!" the dresser tipped over and bounced onto the bed. 

"Hey, it's the Grey's! They are outside." pointing them out. 

"What are they doing here?" Calvin asked as he jumped onto the bed and looked out the window. 

"I don't know, but if they are out and about, it's something serious. Perhaps they are here to look at our goon" 

There was just a handful, twelve or so, hunkered down inside a crater they hastily made. It was unusual. Their tactics. "You go and talk to them," ordered Calvin, pointing them out, "I'll pack up some things and we'll go with them." 

Nodding, Hobbes hustled down stairs and outside as quickly as his hind legs would carry him. Startled at first to see a tiger, the group pointed their weapons at him. Stopping and holding up his paws, Hobbes calmed them down, "Easy boys. I'm an endangered species." 

Relaxing, they allowed him to approach. 

"Where's the rest of you?" asked Hobbes. 

"We are scattered throughout the town" one of them replied. "Captain Miller dispatched our teams to counter every threat. We lost radio contact about half an hour ago. We were on our way back to base, when we came across all of this." 

"Every threat? How many threats are there?" 

"More than we can handle. Looks like our Nemesis, the goons, are back. And I'll tell you, they are different, like upgraded models. They are harder to kill." 

"I know" said Hobbes sitting on the rim of the hole, "We killed one about an hour ago and dissected it. Turns out they have a steel skeleton and our operated by remote control and small computers. These are not the ones we dealt with long ago." 

"Any idea who made them?" another Grey asked. 

Hobbes shook his head, "No, but we did find an ace of spades etched into some of the metal." 

"That's just great" another spat, "now they are computers. How can we kill them if they are computer operated?" 

"We hit ours with a car" the tiger smirked, gesturing with his thumb at the dented sedan behind him. 

Chuckling, the Grey's looked to their sergeant for orders on what to do now. 

"Alright, we need to report back to base." 

"Where's base?" asked Hobbes. 

"About seven streets that way," pointing south east, "Our orders are, if things get out of hand, we lose contact with command, to report back to base and await instruction." 

"Mind if we tag along?" 

"Not at all. Just have to keep up." 

"Great," standing up, "Let me go grab Calvin and we'll go" 

Hustling back inside, Hobbes found Calvin still cramming belongings into his tiny back pack. "Comic books, silly puddy, yo-yo, notepad..." 

"Come on. They are heading back to their base. We can go along." 

Calvin stops what he was doing and turned his attention to Hobbes at the door way, "What about mom?" 

"I'll wake her up, you will need to convince her to go." 

"Are you sure?" raising an eyebrow, "I mean, how can I convince her? Snow goons are going to get you" snarling his teeth in simulation. 

"Good point. I'll write out a note, telling her we went to Susie's house for a party." 

"Good Idea" giving a thumbs up then seal his pack. "I'm all set. While you write, I'll gather some food." 

In ten minutes, the two were outside, minus their cloaks to elude discovery. The Grey's were ready as 

. 

"Try to keep up" the sergeant smiled and, together, the team began huffing it down the street. While jogging, Hobbes noticed that all of the houses were closed up, blindes covered the windows, no lights, no activity. Strange, usually this neighborhood is a focal point for joyous banter. Turning right at the intersection of Martin, the Greys formed into a simple column, one behind the other with Hobbes at the tail end. He kept looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was following. To his hearts relief, they were not for several blocks. As they neared their base, the Greys began to slow down. One was still trying to raise other squads with a hand held radio with no success. Tired and hungry, they continued on for several hundred more yards before turning onto Spencer Lane. Seven buildings down as a ordinary five bed room, three bath house of red brick with a chimney on it's right far wall, and a oak wood duplex entrance way. 

"Nice place" Calvin complimented as they walked onto the raised patio. The sergeant rapped on the door, a slit opened up, "What's the password?" a voice asked from within. 

"Calvin is a booger brain" the sergeant said. 

"Hey!" 

"Come on in" the voice said, then the slit slammed shut and one of the doors opened. 

There were only a half dozen Greys inside, their field jackets removed as well as snow boots. They were clean and trim, they had not been outside, or at least not for very long. "What happened?" one of them asked the sergeant, "We lost contact with Captain Miller and the rest of the platoons." 

"I know" sighing in frustration, "That's why we came back. Orders state we wait here till everyone else comes back." 

"Uh, what if they don't come back?" Calvin raised his hand in the back. All eyes fell on him. 

"If we do not hear from anyone for three days, they are considered missing. Those inside the fort are ordered to stay put, send out local patrols as needed, but stay close to base for possible attack." 

"So we have to stay put?" Hobbes roared. 

"Not unless we can regain communication with an officer. Anyone of them can countermand the order." 

"Well, I'm not going to just sit around here" Calvin barked harshly. "I'm going back out there and look for those damn things. If they want a fight I'll give them a fight with my special powers " He stomped out sharply, leaving a rather embarrassed Hobbes to answer for him, "Uh, he's just under a lot of stress. Very bad memories." smiling nervously. The Grey's said nothing and Hobbes rushed out to catch up with his red hot friend. Reaching his side, Hobbes asked where would they go. "We won't last the night out here" he said. 

"I know, I just want out of there. Being held up inside the house just brings back memories of the Alamo for me. We have to learn from our mistakes." 

Hearing this coming from the loud mouth, Hobbes was taken aback, in a flash the twerp had matured and was making bold decisions. Was it a fluke or was he evolving? At the time, Hobbes did not have the answer for this question, but what did have an answer to was weapons. As they marched along the sidewalk parallel to the road, several metal pikes presented themselves lightly buried under the snow. Just in case. 

"We need to find a roof top. We can see better up there" pointing at a three story apartment complex with a fire escape. 

"There's someone up here" Calvin hissed, pointing to the other side of the roof top. Someone was millling about, not able to be seen by the air conditioning units. Clubs in hand, they approached cautiously. Was it human or machine? They couldn't tell. Whatever it was, it seemed to be moving the pause for several seconds. It did not seem to detect them just yet. The last few feet, the two looked at each other, nodded and charged out together in unison, waving their weapons high, yelling curses. As they came out, the slender body of a human presented itself, holding up it's hands, "Whoa, easy, kid" she said, "I'm human" 

"Holy...it's a girl" Calvin realized, but he still did not lower his club. 

"I'm Bat girl" she responded with fold arms. Looking her over, it was a teenage girl, about five foot six with a lock of red hair coming out behind a hood with pointed ears and large white eyes, a cap hanging over her shoulders, and thigh length leather boots. 

Hearing this, Calvin fell onto his back and let out a boisterous laughter. Gasping for breath, he was heard saying, "What kind of a name is Bat girl?" He never caught on that the jabbing Hobbes made, was actually his infatuation. Even though species were between them, he thought she was cute, like Susie Derkins. 

She remained unfazed by his put down, and Hobbes failed to contribute, despite his pledge to hate all girls. It was a dream come true for him. For the longest time, he thought that it was just a myth that a real bat girl existed. She was every bit what writers had penned her to be. Sassy, smart, and beautiful. But he with held his intent in front of Calvin while he was regaining his composure. 

" 

What are you doing out here?" asked Hobbes. 

"I was sent here to be on the lookout by Batman. I just find it as a way for him to get rid of me for awhile. There was nothing really specific, just be on the lookout for anything strange. Next thing I know, there are snowmen charging down the street, tearing about humans." 

Eyes grew wide, "You actually saw them tear humans apart?" 

"Yes, dude. They ripped their bodies apart and scattered them across the neighborhood. Now I'm talking to a tiger on his hind legs. Talk about strange." 

"You want strange?" Calvin rose up, "I'll give you strange. Those goons are man made and they'll be coming after us in a few minutes." 

"Come with us." Hobbes stepped up, "He's right, you know, goons will be swarming through the streets after us. You'll be safer at the base." 

"Where is base?" she asked. 

Pointing it out from their perch, Hobbes showed that it was just a few buildings away. There were more Grey's funneling in, bringing inside supplies and a few survivors. So far, no new goons have been sighted, but it was growing dark quickly and the temperature was plummeting just as fast. Bat girl surmised that it was best to be in doors. "I think I'll take you up on your offer" she said. Hearing this, Calvin interjected, "Whoa, Hobbes, she's a girl" he spat, waving his fists angrily above his head. "No girls are allowed at the base." 

"It's not your base" Hobbes casually replied, "Captain Miller will allow her to stay." 

"No he won't. She can't come with us" stubbornly put. 

Hobbes merely rolled his eyes and looked back at the beautiful red head, "Never mind him, he's just stubborn. He'll warm up to you eventually" 

"Like hell I will" 

"Watch your mouth or I'll tell mom." 

"Why are you two up here?" Bat girl asked. 

"We're superheroes" Calvin flexed his muscles. 

"Superheroes? You're a bit young to be a hero, kid" bending over and tapping his nose lightly. 

"Well, believe it, lady. We have special powers. I can lift heavy objects like a car" 

"Impressive. What can you do?" turning to Hobbes. 

"I stand on my hind legs and talk like a human" said Hobbes, gaining a giggle. 

"Whatever, look, we are superheroes and you are not. Now we have important stuff to do" Calvin began making tracks to the fire escape. Reaching it, he looked back at the fortress to see the familiar Grey uniforms on the front lawn. "C' here. Look. They are back" he rejoiced. The other two came up to his side and observed for themselves. "We better go inside as well before they seal the door" Calvin said as he hustled down the fire escape. Hobbes went as well, climbing down the rusted ladder. When reaching the bottom, they were surprised to see Bat girl waiting on them, "If you're super heroes" smiling, "You would have taken the easy route." 

Jogging up to the front entrance, the gate keeper asked for the password, "Calvin is a booger brain" Hobbes whispered, loud enough for Calvin and Bat girl to hear. 

"Hey!" 

Allowed in, they found a cluttered mess. Filthy, wet, exhausted and numb Grey's were littered about on the floor or had their backs pressed against interior walls, painfully removing their winter gear as their worn out bodies gave in. The captain lifted up his eyes to see a familiar pair of faces pressing through the crowd. 

"Hey, you two made it" he said to them as they came close. These were friends from the first insurrection, and proved their mettle at several times. Behind them, he caught sight of a hooded red head, she was much taller than the others, but in the given darkness of the fortress, it was hard to tell until she was close. 

"Who is that?" 

Turning to her then back to Miller, Hobbes said, "This is Bat girl. We found her on a roof top not too far from here" Calvin remained smugged, not saying anything except crossing his arms and turning his head away in disgust. 

"You are welcomed here. We built this place after the first invasion to protect the citizens, but those darn goons had the jump on us. We could only save a few, the rest are captured, dead, or scattered too far away to be found." Miller hissed. 

One of his Greys was looking through a firing slit into the outside. He couldn't see anyone, just an abandoned neighborhood. Frustrated, Miller turned away from his quests and stomped away to a back room. A lieutenant stepped in his place and took the three to the basement where the rest of the civilians were huddling, sharing blankets, and trying to comfort one another. Looking at each of their faces, none could be remembered. They were strangers, from different streets and neighborhoods, no children, all adults or elderly. When the three came down, no one said anything or bothered to look at them. 

"This is awful" Bat girl whispered, "Who could have done such a horrible act. Not even the Joker or Penguin would have done as much destruction in one day" 

"give it time" Hobbes assured her. "Now that we are bottled up, they can swarm around us from all sides, coming in like waves from the sea, numerous and unstoppable." 

Bat girl turned to him, "Sounds like you have been through this before" quietly so that no one else could hear them. 

"Yes, that first invasion the captain was saying about, he, Calvin, and I, plus a handful of others were trapped at Susie's house about seven blocks away. We were trapped there by a massive army of goons, different than those we have today. We escaped, but lost a large number of people along the way." 

Looking around at the interior fortifications, which must have taken months of planning and execution, she asked him, "Do you think it will happen again?" 

Hobbes did not answer, instead he sighed and handed her a blanket, "You best rest now, tomorrow will be a busy day" 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes, they are owned by Bill Watterson. Batgirl is owned by Warner Brothers.

It was just great to be in doors once more with the heat and provisions. As he removed his water logged boots and sipped on hot chocolate, Miller looked up to see two faces in the door way. "You two again?" he groaned, "Everytime you show up, those freaks are not too far behind""Nice to see you to" Calvin replied.

Offering them a seat, Miller carried a concerned look that was immediately noticed.

Knowing exactly what it was, Hobbes began, "These ones are different. Far different. They are human made with skeletons, strong ones."

"Is there a way to kill them?"

"Yes, hit it with a car" Calvin laughed.

"Unfortunately, kid, we do not have very many cars. There has to be a more practical way"

"But what are we suppose to do? We can't wait here forever"

"No, but it will take some time before government forces can arrive. Unless they took out all network communications." Taking another sip of his drink, Miller looked up at Hobbes, he was cool and calm, as while his friend was finding it difficult to sit still.

"Any ideas?" Miller asked.

"I think we should hold up here, but also try and find out who is behind all of this."

"Agreed. To start it off, who are the likely suspects?"

While the three exchanged notes, the rest of the complement awoke to chores. Much needed to be done to fortify the complex. In a large shed situated in the back yard, there were six pieces of artillery. Molded out of steel, these pieces were moved to different points of the perimeter and men began to build up a barricade around the house itself. Sentries kept watch as the Grays put up their works. Civilians with them began to chip in as best they could. So many were in fear, none could sleep that night, trembling as they huddled in the cellar. Armed guards stood around them as the outside world lay dorment.

Many wondered what kind of human could have created such a monster. It set in that they were under attack and that their loved ones and friends were missing and they wanted to seek them out. Individuals and small groups began to try and leave the perimeter, but guards kept them in.

"You can't keep us here" more than one was heard to say.

But the Greys kept them in for one simple reason, it was too dangerous for unarmed civilians to be out with goons running about. Miller calmed down the situation when he appeared outside after hearing the comotion. "We will lead a team to gather survivors and bring them here. Rest assured, people, that we will find them."

In the crowd, Batgirl did not still was not satisfied. She wanted out and was willing to do so despite the barrier. "I need to return to Gotham" she said to him.

Sighing, Miller replied calmly, "There is no safe way for you to leave the city. There are reports of snowmen attacks coming in from all over the state"

"How do you know that?" someone from the crowd asked.

"We have a short wave radio with us. That works, everything else, ground lines, cell phones, television, and satellite phones are all offline."

"How is that possible?" a women yelled.

"Not sure" Miller shrugged, "But as long as we all stay together, we will survive. There is plenty of food for months as well as facilities and power."

Not fully satisfied, the crowd grumbled but there was little they could do but disperse and stay inside the barrier while the Greys continued their labor. Daniel Crucher was a member of the quarter master, supply. A burly man of twenty one, he was one of the oldest, and could be counted upon when a crisis aroused. He carried out from the store room several ammunition cans for rifles and began to distribute them to the soldiers. Each one carried at least 210 rounds for a AR-15 and twenty eight rounds for a .45 Colt. When Batgirl saw all of this firepower in the hands of teenagers and young adults, she asked "How did you guys get all of this?"

"First Amendement" one of them spat.

"When you need it and don't have it, you sing a different tune" to quote Burt Gummer.

A hundred or so defended the line, the three strangers stepped out into the compound and watched as they went about their tasks. In the center of it all was Captain Miller, directing his subordinates, and encouraging his friends. "They are counting on us to protect them" he said many times. When Batgirl, Calvin, and Hobbes approached, he smiled and asked what could he do for them.

"Anything is better than sitting around and doing nothing." Hobbes replied, "How about we stretch our legs outside"

"What do you have in mind?"

"We could venture out and see if there are any of those snow goons closeby"

Thinking about it for a moment, Miller lightly nodded, "Alright, we have a hand radio, but it's range is limited. Still, take it, it's better than nothing. Where will you go?"

"I'm heading back to my house" Calvin said, "I have to see if my mom is still there."

"That's quite a trip, son. Going on foot"

"Yes, but I think we can avoid all of that" Batgirl interjected.

"How is that?"

"The suburbs here are made so that the houses are close together, we could hop from roof top to roof top most of the way. They can't reach us there"

Miller smiled and nodded, "That's true. Well, good luck."

Smiling back, Batgirl and her two friends left. After picking up the radio from Crucher, they stepped onto the roof. "Alrighty, boys, I'm not sure how you are going to make it across, but I'll have no trouble." Batgirl nievely put it. In a flash, she ran down the length of shingles, leapt at the very end and catapulted herself over the earthworks and landed softly on the roof top beyond.

"Impressive" Hobbes whispered.

"Posh, that is nothing. I can do better." Calvin spat back as he dawned his cloak.

With Batgirl looking on, Hobbes came next. He thundered down and jumped, his back acting like a spring that launched his body by the hind legs. He made it over with no difficulty. With his friends looking on, Calvin took a few steps back, drew a breath, "Think like Superman" he said to himself. His legs felt like jelly at the first step, but he continued, the slow steps turning into a jog, then into a full fledge run. "Da-da-da-da-da" he yelled as he reached the very end. With one leap, he was off, sailing through the air like a bird. "Superman!" In one moment, he was airborne, the next, a hole in the snow. When he came to, a Grey was standing over him.

"What on earth were you think?" he asked.

"I'm…Superman…" he spitted out along with snow.

"I think we need to reevaluate our plan" Batgirl said to Hobbes.

"This is so bogus Calvin explained over and over again as he watched his two companions jump from rooftop to rooftop above his head. They seemed to be enjoying the fact that they could fly, while he was forced to crunch through knee deep snow. When they reached the last house on the block, they paused long enough for him to catch up and to orient themselves. "Which way is it to your house?"Batgirl asked Hobbes who carried with him the radio after he tried to raise the Greys at their head quarters he pointed to the left and said that way about seven blocks"

When the march resumed Hobbes was able to converse with Batgirl on the subject matter as to how exactly he can gain to be in here in the suburbs. At first she was evasive on the matter but the sly tiger was able to crack the nut shell and she began to say that she was in here to locate an escaped huge to tip from Gotham. As to the manner of hold it was to you was looking for fact was not given for it was top secret in her eyes.

Now it was Hobbes' turn to answer her questions and it immediately begin with you have dealt in situations like this before whom are the DU ranged Keeler mutant monster Snow goons and how exactly did they come here. At first backspace backspace backspace backspace backspace the definitive answer as to how they were created the first time was simple, it was Calvin who used some sort of black magic but these ones here everyone knew were completely different and Calvin showed he had no capability to manufacture such a creature. Whom and for me this had to have known what the Snow goons originally were and know their strengths and weaknesses and simply upgraded them with electronic hardware.

"How did you kill them the first time?" She asked.

"We just took off their heads" he replied.

"No, I mean how the page you wiped out their invasion?"

"It took a lot of deducing and a lot of sheer will but we found out that they had wanting head honcho, similar to a clean in it and colony. Do you kill that one and the rest of the colony will follow."

At the next stop, the two looked down and could not help but smile as their hapless companion etched up when he noticed that they were looking at him with sarcastic smirks he threatened to shut up or I'll will opt you are one shaking his fist violently at them. But those threats were idle. On the last lock the trio took another laughed and progressed past Souci Durkin's house. Like everyone else's it too was abandoned the callers were still in its driveway and be heavyset of foot patterns in the snow left them to assume that there was a great scuffle as they planned to evacuate. When Calvin arrived at his house he froze in his tracks when he saw that the front door was ajar.

Mom mom he said over and over again as he went from room to room but there was no answer in the bedroom he found a note dampened by a water along with clumps of snow that were still melting into the carpet.something terrible had occurred here and Calvin felt his heart sink into his back holes at the prospects that his parents were kidnapped by the goons and now could be part of their slave labor or much worse.

"I'm sorry, kid" Batgirl tried to say but it would be of no use. There were no words that could console anyone over the loss of someone. Calvin could not even bear to think of what would happen if the same would have happened to Hobbes.

Back in headquarters, the radio operator enjoyed listening to the intermediate reports and banter between scouts as they went about their tasks. Every half-hour he would break up the monotony and ask for a report of accountability. One by one each party reported until he came down to our last one Calvin Hobbes and Batgirl. They failed to respond the first time, again and again the radio operator called out to them and there was no response. It had been silent on their end of the line for approximently15 minutes when a distorted voice came over their airwaves. It could not be verified exactly who will was aware was coming from, thus the radio operators struck to do all scouting parties report in their exact position. Calling in his superior, the lonely corporal gave him up to date information, including a small map with red indicators of where the other parties were. Reacting on instinct, Miller ordered that all his remaining scouts converge on the last estimated position and mustered in a platoon to ride on pickup trucks for further support. Though the entire force managed to converged on the area within minutes, it was feared that it was already too late. There are signs of a heavy battle over the place. Here shattered glass and broken buildings, a few smoking cars, and trail marks indictated that bodies had been dragged away, most likely the scouts after being ambushed. Miller instructed that nothing else mattered until they were brought back, "I don't care how you do it. Turn over every rock, search every basement, bring them back. Even when blood was found, Miller and the others refused to accept that they were dead and that they should give up.

Then, early the next morning, a patrol approximately 10 blocks from the ambush site, the pick up trucks were on patrol when one weary soldier happened to look outside, in a dark alley, and saw what appeared to be blood mixed in with trail marks. Coming to a stop, they dismounted and investigate further. One of the sergeants determined that it was in fact blood and it was fresh. Someone had to be dragged here and they followed it all the way up to two-story red brick building at was boarded up and thought to have been abandoned.

This changed their fortunes. Could this be another militia, humans they were dealing with? Why would another group of humans attack another group or humans? Was this a instinctive survival? Or were they in fact allies to the invasion?

Radioing head quarters for instructions, Miller gave orders for his followers to surround and storm the building. "We have no allies in the area" he told them, "Treat them as enemies. If they surrender, fine, but if they resist, you know what to do."

Approaching in stealth, the small party of sixteen men quickly surrounded the building on all sides, then a storming party of two teams of four were placed on the trucks. They would drive up and dismount to use the element of surprise.

"All teams in position" sergeants whispered.

The lieutenant gave the signal and the trucks roared up, skidded to a stop, and the teams jumped out, heaving flash bang grenades through windows to disorient those inside. A burly sergeant kicked down the front door and the teams charged in shouting, "Hands up! Get down!"

From outside, others could hear the commands, then came a rattle of gun fire. "Bogey down!" somone shouted. Bogey is terminology for an unknown object or person. It was over in a matter of moments and the men began to tense up. Finally, the burly sergeant broke the silence, "All clear. Suspects down"

Breathing a collective sigh of relief, the perimeter was taken down and the Greys began to assertain what it was in fact they were dealing with. Inside, there was a sight of horror. Bodies of seven humans were found inside, each armed, wearing camoflauged slacks or shirts. It appeared that they had made this place their home for there was running air conditioning, heat, water, and large amounts of provisions. What could not be found out was whom they belonged to. Inside a secluded closet, they found Batgirl, hands bound behind her back, face beaten, her cape and hood ripped, obvious signs of internal bleeding and torture. Hobbes fared no better when they found him in another room, this time he was suspended upside down with telephone cord. Calvin was not too far away, except his mouth was gagged. All three were alive, but were roughed up by their captors. Whisking them away back to base, the Greys held their breath as the doctors tended to their needs. They were the only ones that could answer their questions. Was this a new threat?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes or Batgirl. They are owned by Bill Watterson and Warner Brothers respectfully.

Directed to the infirmary, Captain Miller shuffled past bunk beds of the sick to find the former prisoners. Pneumonia was growing, but it did not bother the officer to breath the same air and he kneeled down behind the red haired heroine whom opened her eyes and smiled lightly.

"Thank you, for saving us" she said.

"Don't thank me. Thank my men. What happened to you?"

"They were around us in moments. There was no real fight. We tried to run, but they were too fast for us. Next thing I knew, we were being herded into this house. The boy there had to be dragged in after the bounded him up in rope and gagged him. I was blind folded. They hit me a few times then just left me in a closet. Outside, I could hear them chattering to one another. They have more people coming from the city. They want to take out you and your men. That way they can take over the neighborhood and give it to the goons."

Nodding his lightly, Miller took it all in. There was a moment of silence between them then the veteran cracked a smile, "Thank you. You rest now. I'll see you later" then he left.

Hobbes was not amongst the ill. A sling for an arm and taking pain when he walked, Night Prowler was just doing that, prowling amongst the ramparts of the line. His eyes strained to look at every feature of distant buildings. When a bird spread it's wings in a tree, he would freeze and fixate on it until he recognized what it was then continued on. He hated the stale air, constant wheeze and cough of humans around him irritated his ears. As he strolled around, a voice from down below caught his attention. "You good enough to walk?" he asked.

Looking down, there was Captain Miller walking up one of the ramps. The two of them went to one of the cannons to relax. "How are you feeling?" Miller asked.

"Not bad for being suspended upside down for several hours" the tiger jived.

"You look a little worse for wear"

"Thanks, I just couldn't take it in the hospital anymore."

Nodding his sympathy, Miller turned around to see down the street. It was vacant, always had been, but there was a constant nag that someone or something was out there, looking right back, waiting to strike when he looked away.

"How's Batgirl?" Hobbes asked, rubbing his bum arm with his other.

"She's doing well. Our physician says that there are no series injuries, just let her rest to avoid pneumonia." Miller casually replied. The tiger lowered his head and became lost in the moment to think about her. For what seemed like hours, he reflected, about the ambush, he couldn't recall much, just few bangs, a flash and then he was being dragged into the back of a vehicle.

"Hobbes?"

It was Miller, his hand touched the tiger's shoulder and he was jolted back to reality. "You phased out there for a moment. You alright?"

"Oh? Yes, just give it time, I'll be back on my feet."

"I'll look forward to have you with us again. Excuse me though, I have to tend to some other matters. You can visit Calvin if you like, he's also in the infirmary, but he'll be thrown out if he removes the gag again." Laughing, the two parted ways.

Perhaps he should visit that bag of wind, see what they could do to have fun till the fireworks started again. Before the tiger could enter the home itself, two oderlies carried out a hog tied Calvin, a sock shoved into his mouth.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"This one's too rowdy. We have to throw him out"

"How is he too rowdy?" he asked as they removed the ropes.

"He kept spouting that he was going to fry us with his laser eyes. I think he has a concussion, but he won't sit still for the physician to look at him."

"That's Calvin," remarking that he won't sit still, even for a family portrait.

Hunching over, the tiger removed the gag, "What happened this time?"

"Those jerks wouldn't give me any ice cream"

"That's for the sick"

"I am sick" dusting off his coat.

"Physically, not mentally" simulating a cough.

"Alright, pea brain, I get it. Now what are we suppose to do?"

"Well, the captain says that Batgirl is doing better."

"Yuck, I don't care. Did Miller say anything about letting us go out?"

"Don't you remember what happened the last time we went out? We were captured and tortured!"

"Oh, right"

At that moment, Calvin sneezed, but there was notihng in his hands when he cupped them around his nostrils. "I hate it when that happens".

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to leave this fort and be captured, again. This time it might be worse. I was suspended upside down by a cord. All they needed was a bat and I would have been a piñata."

"Alright, but we must find out who is behind these attacks. Judging by our information, it's someone that is smart. Who that we know is smart enough to make these goons and have enough money to build them?"

Hobbes thought for a moment then submitted, "Susie?"

Susie Derkins was the brain next door. Several times there were skirmishes between her and G.R.O.S.S over her happening of being a girl. She could not be the one behind this because she was with them in the last goon insurrection, they held up in her house. Indeed she had the brains to build and program them, but how would she obtain the wealth for the material.

"That does not seem probable" Calvin deduced.

"Probable? How did you learn that word?"

Calvin stood stark still, "I don't know. It just came to me."

"We need to take a prisoner. That way we can interrogate him for information. Or better, we should go find Susie" Hobbes submitted.

"Yes, then we can tie her to a chair and……."

"What was that?"

"Nothing"

The two gradually went inside as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. Rations were given out and the garrison with their guests, tried to relax as best they could to relieve the tension from the quiet and stillness outside the walls.

"This is so not like Gotham" Batgirl sighed as she slumped down in a space on the carpet and pressed her back against the wall.

"What did you expect?" Hobbes bocked.

"I didn't expect snowmen that want to tear me apart"

"Aren't you use to creatures wanting to kill you?" Calvin added. Harsh but it was true, that is why he said it.

"Yes, but not snowmen. We don't enjoy snow fall in the city as much as here" she said.

Rough and cruel were just a formality. Given a time to reflect, she could now remember being tied to chair and a man asking her questions. "What is your unit?" he demanded.

"What unit?"

A swollen and cut lip was her reward.

She fell asleep with the bitter memories and so did the rest of the garrison. The guests, with surplus wool blankets huddled together for warmth as the heater was shut down to conserve heat. It would be turned on again later in the night, but until that time came, all they had were each other.

Private Sean O' Conner was the unlucky sap that was to pull night watch. On the roof with a wool scarf over his face to shield it against the biting wind, he looked out on the neighborhood around him. The power was turned off, there was only the moon to give him light.

"I can't believe I had to pull the short straw" he kicked himself. I wasn't his fault. Down below, garbage details were taking out bags of filth to be buried near the edge of the perimeter. At least the plumbing still worked.

By about 2200 hours, Sean was sitting on the roof, rifle clutched in his arms and he began to nod off. To keep himself from doing so, he stood up and began to walk around. First he went east then turned about to face went, and when he did, there were several black figures moving down the street at a dileraberate pace.

He yelled down the chimney, "I have movement!" and that began a chain reaction. Grays shook themselves out of their sleep, grabbed their weapons and began to hustle outside.

"What do you have?" an officer called out to Sean.

Pointing his rifle in the given direction, "I have figures moving in from the west in the street. "

Just then, a wild volley ran out and bullets slammed into the retaining wall and the house. Panes of glass were shattered and the men threw themselves to the ground to avoid the incoming lead.

Looking outside, they could now see what they were facing, militiamen coming up by foot and behind them were goons. Their fire was wild but the rush was great. The garrison had little time to fire back before the enemy was mounting the walls and threatening to enter the courtyard. Miller ran out in his bare feet, pulled out his side arm and emptied the entire magazine. As he reloaded, a bullet nicked him in the neck. Bleeding profusely, he maintained his wits, reloaded and continued to fire while applying pressure with his free hand on the wound. Jolted by the attack, batgirl, Hobbes, and Calvin scurried out with the others to see the attack coming right for them.

Calvin yelled, "What should we do?" not realizing that he had forgotten his beanie and gloves inside.

"Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves" Batgirl yelled as she pulled out several batarangs from her belt and rushed towards the wall. As she came up, a head appeared and she threw her weapon, cleaving the goon's head clear off. More racked up next to it in a attempt to sally the wall. Slick as they were, somehow they gained traction and ascended to the peak. Grenades showered them, fragments of hot steel cut through servos and wire, mainly sputtered to a stop or collapsed, most pressed on as the Greys shook off the shock of the attack and began to man their positions.

"Now is the time for Stupendous Man!" Calvin exclaimed as he dawned his cloak. Beside him, Hobbes glared his teeth, "Also for Night Prowler"

Together, they joined others as they charged towards the enemy, mounted the parapets, and began to battle back in fierce hand to hand combat. Short in stature, Calvin was easily lost. He found goons all around, the groups became easily compact and there was little room to move. Making a fist, he lashed out, screaming and kicking. A great surge of energy warmed his hands and struck with unbelievable fury. Ice armor was ineffective; CPUs and limbs were destroyed as Stupendous Man fought his way around blindly. For Hobbes, he leapt up on his hind legs and pounced on a militiaman and slashed at his face. When another charged, firing his rifle at him, Hobbes tackled and brained this one as well. Several Grays battled their way towards one of the cannons at the junction, but it was over run.

"Go for the gun" someone shouted. Calvin heard and saw the cannon. Militiamen were now in the process of turning it about. Ammunition was stacked up next to it.

"Night Prowler" he yelped, "They have the cannon! Go for the cannon!" but he had no idea where Prowler was. Thinking that he was heard, Stupendous Man made his way there himself, leaping over the bodies of goons as the Grays knocked them down. By the hundreds they fell, but more and more were coming over. It was a repeat of his original Alamo.

"Not this time, evil doer" Calvin yelled. Just as he was within arms reach of the gun, black clad men saw and charged right for him with their bayonets gleaming in the moonlight.

"Kill the kid" one of them, possibly an officer, yelled.

Undaunted, Calvin let loose a fury of fists and knocked down his foe and he touched the gun with the tip of his finger when a butt stock cracked against his temple and Calvin fell overboard into a mound of loose snow at the base of the rampart.

Hemped in by enemies, Night Prowler was not having much luck himself. Everything around him was a blur and a drone in his ears made it impossible for him to hear his own voice or thoughts. A militiaman had tried to run him through with a bayonet, but the mighty tiger had taken hold of the rifle, ripped it from the human's grasp and bashed his skull in. "That's for me" he yelled, or thought he did. When he turned around, a seven foot monster was standing over him.

"Not good" gulping down hard.

The goon lunged forward and the two collided and wrestled, the hefty snowmen buried the tiger under it's girth.

Not far away, several Grays turned around an artillery piece, moved it into the courtyard, loaded it with a double helping of canister, and began to fire into the congested mass coming over the wall. If one has ever watched a colony of ants swarm on a piece of chocolate on the ground, then one can imagine what it was like. There was no time, or need, to aim. Again and again, the humans pummeled the attackers with deadly canister, slaying foes by the handful. Sporting a fresh bandage, Captain Miller began to pull back his men towards the house at a secondary line. Sharpshooters were on the roof and firing from the windows while the remaining cannons are brought up. Batgirl was one of the last to come tumbling back. Worse in appearance than before, she was not dispirited by what she endured on the rampart.

"Where's the boy and tiger?" Batgirl called out to Miller.

"I don't know" he responded, "I thought they were with you"

Shaking her head negatively, the girl went down the line, looking at the faces of those that were left to find them. A few of the boys were digging into the snow to make some sort of protection, others were on their bellies trying to load their weapons as the bullets whizzed like bees over head. Batgirl was undaunted by all of this. Committed to her goal of finding Calvin and Hobbes, her heart began to race as she reached the last of them and still could not find them. A group of militiamen jolted her attention as they came screaming through the courtyard, firing their weapons on the run, in the hopes of piercing the second line, but a quickly volley cut them down instantly. Another squad sallied forth and began hurling home made grenades that detonated in the midst of the line. Pieces of shrapnel shredded her cape and wounded a man next to her, but Batgirl continued on. As the casualties mounted, it seemed that Miller was about to be pressed to retreat inside and shut up inside the building, a virtual death trap. The fire Miller's Grays were giving stymied the attack and the goons recoiled, retreating back to the outside, and leaving the militiamen isolated.

"Charge them! Charge! Charge!" an officer shouted and began to run forward. Standing up, the Greys followed his example, let loose a cry and charged forward. Panic gripped the militiamen and they began to throw down their weapons and flee or try to surrender to vengeance seeking foe that battled their way up, retook the parapet and began to pummel those on the base of the retaining wall with rifle fire at point blank range.

Struggling to his feet from a mount of snow, Hobbes stood erect as the battle went right past him. So fast was it that it was a complete blur and he could not tell for a time who was who until a familiar figure touched his shoulder.

"Hobbes? You all right?" It was Batgirl. Her mask was ripped in half and her sprout of red had was showing through the seams.

"I've been better" he snapped.

"Where's the brat?"

Looking behind, Hobbes motioned with his thumb, "I lost him somewhere near the cannon."

Looking that way, Miller's boys had retaken that same gun, were running it out, and firing canister into the retreating foe.

"You said before that you were in a situation like this once?" she asked while adjusting her gloves over her sore hands.

"Actually twice," Hobbes quipped, "But this time we were ready."

Together, they made their way towards the gun as the Grays merrily destroyed what was left of their attackers. Defeated emotionally, militiamen raised their hands up and surrendered as their compatriots, the goons, disappeared, leaving a great amount of their dead behind. Guards began to horde the prisoners into the courtyard where they stripped them of weapons and belongings. Masks were ripped off their faces to reveal whom it was they were fighting. Humans, neighbors, now traitors they were huddled under the eye of Miller's men as they kept their rifles on them. Fifteen of them now sat, exposed to the environment as their captors brought in weapons, stockpiling them closeby and clearing away the metal skeletons of the goons. Many of the lather were smoldering, leaking acid from their battery packs. A self destruct mechanism perhaps to prevent valuable information from behind captured. No matter, a great many were destroyed and the militia had their back broken. Seventeen lay dead, another twenty two wounded and captured, and the string already surrender amounted to fifty four twice the casualties the Grays suffered in this contest.

Our two were worried about more pressing matters. Somewhere in the mess was Calvin.

"Hey, kid, where you are?" she called out.

A low moan responded to that from underneath the snow at her feet.

Dusting off a layer of snow, Batgirl found him, motionless but still alive.

"Don't worry, kid. I have you" she smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes or Batgirl. They are owned by Bill Watterson and Warner Brothers respectfully.

When Calvin came to, Batgirl was sitting down next to his bed, calmly wiping away the sweat off of his forehead. At first he tried to fight, but the tougher girl retraned him. "Easy, kid. It's just the fever." she said to him. But, Calvin did not understand. All he saw was a girl and he refused to be cared for. Now, he allowed her to clean him. At the foot of the bed, Hobbes had a smirk on his face.

"Wipe that smirk off, dummy" Calvin yelled, pointing a finger at his friend.

"Why? I'm enjoying this" Hobbes laughed.

"When I get my hands on the official log, i'm going to write down that you failed to yield and lend aid to the supreme dictator for life. A crime punishable by death!"

Hobbes remained rigid.

"What is he talking about?" Batgirl asked ringing out the wash cloth.

"Nothing, it's just the fever" Hobbes replied, shouldering a captured rifle and marching back outside. There, he met Miller and his staff and they were apparently worried. So much damage had been done to their fort during the last sortie that there was a possibly that they might have to find a new place.

"Our place is untendable" one officer remarked behind his gator neck that was double over to sheild his nose and mouth.

"No," Miller said calmly, "Shore up the wall and prepare for the next assault. It won't be long in coming. Bury the bodies in the back, take their weapons and ammunition. Also, have the explosives rigged up to deal with those damn waves they use."

Nodding their approval, the offices dispersed to carry out Miller's bidding.

"You know captain, just what is the plan if we are forced to evacuate?" Hobbes came forward to ask in a whisper as workers went by with shovels and picks.

"To be honest, i'm playing this one all by ear" Miller replied.

If this was true, he was playing rather well. Calvin was bed ridden for the rest of the day. That kept him out of everyone's hair while repairs were made to the defenses. Takig up a shovel, Hobbes shoveled out the snow from the compound to the outer wall as engineers, to use the term loosely, were reinforcing the wall with wood beams that they had scavenged from the neighboring houses. Stakes were stabbed into the earth and horizontal beams were placed intersecting the stakes then earth was thrown around the outside giving them stout fortifications. All of this was made around the entire perimeter, removing the previous weaker works. It was back breaking work, everyone, almost everyone, contributed in their own way. Rations were prepared in the kitchen. Fresh, hot, bread with a thick slab of beef in between with a cup of cocoa was very filling for their tired bodies. Sitting outside, trying to relax in the cold, Miller saw that no one was on the roof and decided to take seat up there instead and keep a look out. As he went to climb the ladder leading up there, he saw the bodies of the enemy dead being taken well outside the fort for burial. Funeral services for the dead was brief. Some respect was given for the slain of the enemy. Identification was taken from the bodies and crude head stones were etched on planks of wood. after chiseling out a plot in the hard earth, they were lowered down and then covered. A brief moment of silence followed and the party went back to the fort.

When Miller finished asending the ladder, he saw that someone was up there indeed. With thigh length boots, a sprout of red hair coming from behind her cowling, it was Batgirl inverted at the very edge of the roof on her hands. "What's up?" she asked.

"What are you doing up here?" Miller asked.

"Just clearing my mind"

Miller looked at her figure. It was an impossible position for even him to achieve. "How do you do that?"

"Years worth of training. While you were in the books, I was training in gymnastics."

"While you were in gymnastics, I was in Iraq training the ICDC."

"Really?" surprised, "You look so young."

"I get that alot. How about the kid? How is he fairing with that fever?" Miller asked as he sat down on the edge of the roof, looking down into the courtyard. A few sentries were about, everyone else was inside against the cold.

"He's doing fine. He keeps babbling about a club of his. I can't make sense out of it."

"That kid was never much sense before hand. If he's just talking that good enough for me" Miller looked at her and smiled.

"How do you know about him? I'm sorry if i'm asking so many questions, but this is all new to me" she replied.

"Sigh, it's nothing new to us. You see, Calvin, Hobbes, and a number of us were involved in the first invasion of snow goons. That's what the snowmen are called. It turns out that Calvin created the very first one and that creature made more, and the copies made copies until there were well over a thousand facing us."

"Wait, hold on, you mean the brat created them?" Batgirl gasped.

"Yes, but it wasn't entirely his fault. He didn't expect it to be evil, more like Frosty the Snowman that way he could stab it with an icicle."

"Make a creature and then kill it?"

"Yes, the kid needs therapy."

"How did you become a captain then?" Batgirl asked, sitting down beside him.

"That part took awhile. During the first insurection of the goons, several of my neighbors and I were thrusted together for survival as snowmen tore the community apart. We moved to a fort that was being constructed not too far from here, that is where we met Calvin and Hobbes and held up there for awhile, but the goons attacked in a massive night assault that took a great many of us.

Batgirl sat motionless, transfixed on his every word.

"They had us trapped in Susie Derkin's house and just when it seemed over, we broke out and fled into the woods where we met another group of survivors."

"Amazing, have you decided to write a book about your experience?" Batgirl asked.

"Naw, too many have used that. I would prefer that people not gain ideas from this. It's been too horrorific for even me." Miller said, lowering his voice as well as his head.

"I'm sorry"

"That's alright."

Watching them from down below, Calvin and Hobbes were beside themselves. All the work in repairing the fort had been done. Now there was nothing for them to do except wait. They were young and thus inpatient. At least, Calvin was.

"How could he sit up there and laugh while there are hundreds of those things running out there?" Calvin was still feeling the ill effects of the fever and took it upon himself to get out of the house and move around to avoid the congestion and noise. Outside, it was cold, some wind, and peaceful under the star filled sky. Hobbes ignored his friends banter and continued to watch as Miller and Batgirl conversed. In his mind, he was taking notes.

"Hobbes, we can't hold out here. You know that. Every time we make a fort, they find someway to distroy that. This is stupid. We keep repeating the same mistake over and over again. Darn it. Why does this happen? I didn't make these goons this time. How come they come back?"

Repeating the same questions made Hobbes drown it all out. Sure, it may be the same questions he once thought before, but looking up at those two on the room made him forget about it. Just another day, another day and they would survive. A day inside this fort was another day that he would be able to see them, and be beside his babbling friend. His good friend. The one that caught him in a simple trap with a tuna fish sandwhich. The same one that help him cheat on homework, and the very same one that taught him all about girls.

Suddenly, Calvin found himself in a deep embrace.

"Ick! What is wrong with you, ya furball?" Calvin screamed as he struggled to free himself.

"I just love ya, silly" Hobbes smiled.

"Yuck, have they poisened your mind? Let me go! I order you."

As the four friends conversed and improved their relationships, they had no way in know that they were being watched from afar. Far outside the dwellings of the suburbs, there was flat terrain covered in a thick blanket of snow. Standing upright was a single figure with powerful binoculars watching the fort's every activity. The figure had been out there every hour to see what had transpired and even witnessed the first attack. Notes were scribbled onto a small pad of paper in red ink. Weaknesses, strength, and anything strange, including the two figures on the roof were jotted down. Satisfied at midnight, the figure stole away, entering the void of the city in a captured Jeep. The human walked up the steps to the court house where, sitting calmly on a large throne, was a shadow of a figure cast in darkness.

"Sir, the legions are in postion. The fort is completely surrounded. Their is no hope for them. What are your orders?"

"We'll play for keeps this time. Move in, kill all in your path. Bring me the boy and his tiger alive, if possible" he added with a smirk.

The goons began their march, slow but steady. Behind them were the neat ranks of hundreds of cats and humans, carrying the banners of Garfield: The Great.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes or Garfield. They are owned by Bill Watterson and Jim Davis respectfully. I do own Captain Miller and the Greys and Batgirl is owned by Warner Brothers.

Watching the fort from a safe distance, the eyes of Garfield observed the sentries moving about at their posts. Several times before his assaults had born no fruit and his losses were heavy

"Sir, are your orders the same as before?"

"Send forth all legions. Do not stop the attack until the fort is taken. Slay them all." Garfield said.

"What of the boy and tiger?" asked one of the generals.

"I will break them"

Those people he referred to were holed up inside their fortress resting with sentries still at their posts keeping an every watching eye on the surrounding buildings. In the distance, the distant fires coming from the city seemed to grow in intensity and were coming in their direction. Nearby were the silent guns that gave them the firepower to repel any attack. They were mute witness to the carnage that has played out here before.

"Boy, you need to see a shrink" Batgirl blurted out. Her voice could be heard all the way from the inside and reverberated through the streets. She was arguing to the little blonde loud mouth with a cape draped over his shoulders carrying a tray with slop on it.

"This is gruel. I want something better. A pizza"

"They don't have pizza. Just deal with it" Hobbes said. He too was carrying a tray of slop but after tasting his vitamin and mineral contents, he came to like it's rich oatmeal flavor. Find a place in a corner of the family room, opposite of the rest of the garrison, Batgirl sat down and began to eat with Hobbes to her left and then Calvin to her right.

"Look, kid, we are in a tight spot. We can't call a pizza. Just bear with it. We are" she continued.

"This is slop. I deserve better" Calvin shouted into her ear.

"Why then all of us?" asked Hobbes.

"Because I'm Stupendous Man" Calvin shouted, thrust his right arm with a clenched fist into the sky. "Kid, you might have some power, but you better learn how to control it." Batgirl said.

"I know how to control it. Don't tell me how to control it." Calvin said in anger as he rose up. Everyone held their breath for a moment and stared thinking that there might be a fight.

"Boy, you better think twice before trying to tango with me" said Batgirl.

"I've about had it with your sarcasm."

"And I've had it with your mouth."

"Hey, you're just a stupid girl. I'm stupendous man! I have move cars"

"Well, why don't you move your big mouth outside?"

"Alright then, I challenge you a …..a….what's the term where they duel?"

"A duel?" said Hobbes.

"Yes, that. I challenge you to a duel" stomping outside into the cold, Calvin left Batgirl and the rest of the garrison in mute. After a moment she turned to her tiger companion, "Is he serious?"

"Believe me, once he sets his mind on something, it's impossible to stop. He's a train wreck coming"

Outside slamming a fist into an open palm Calvin waited. Batgirl came out from the house shortly afterwards. "Kid, you don't want to do this" she said slowly approaching him.

"Oh I do" Calvin said and swung wildly with a fist, but Batgirl stepped back and the blow missed and instead he spun around like a top and became dizzy. "Hold still" he cursed. When he straightened himself out, he charged towards his prey mashing his teeth. "I'll get you"

Drunk with rage, his attack was easily countered by side stepping and the poor boy plowed into a small embankment of muddy snow.

"Hold still and fight like a man"

Coming outside to witness the fight, the garrison laughed in seeing Calvin's face caked in mud and ice. He wiped it off with his mittens and charged once more, but again Batgirl merely dodged his every move.

"Kid, give it up" she said.

"Never"

When Miller came out he asked one of his lieutenants what was going on. "That red hair and brat are going at it, sir. Five bucks says she mops the floor with him"

Pressing through the mob, the captain came upon Calvin planting his face into the snow again and again in fruitless charges.

"Tired yet?" Miller called out to her.

Looking his way she smiled, "Not yet, this is fun"

Using the distraction to his advantage, Calvin balled up some muddy snow and threw it. The concoction struck Batgirl's head only enough to faze her and gain attention, but the moment it took to shrug it off was enough for him to charge and tackle his opponent to the ground.

"That's dirty fighting" Hobbes shouted out, but there was little he could do. Once Calvin had gained the advantage he used it. With slamming fists he landed blow after blow in just a few moments. "I'll get rid of you slimy girl" he screamed.

"Enough" Miller yelled, pushed his way up, grabbed Calvin by the scruff of the neck and heaved him back with all of his might. It was over in just a few minutes, but it seemed to drag out as the party watched the captain deal out swift justice.

"You want to fight?" he screamed.

"I just had it with her" Calvin meekly replied.

"Not good enough. You want to fight someone, fight me. You're lucky you are not my son or I'll whip you. Now get" and kicked him in the seat of his pants as hard as possible, "I'll deal with you in a minute". Going back over to Batgirl she sported a ruptured lip and blood was trickling from her nose.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Peachy. I'm going to the roof" she said then promptly left.

Hobbes had meanwhile ventured over to a pouting Calvin near one of the cannons. "What was that all about?" his furry friend asked in utter disbelief.

"I don't know what came over me. Luckily for her my powers didn't kick in and I would have bashed her brains in" Calvin said.

"Listen to yourself. You're going crazy. Keep it up and the captain could have you shot"

"Will he?"

"Perhaps"

The mob began to disband, some heading back inside, others milling about conversing amongst themselves. Grays and civilians were growing increasingly angry at themselves. The sudden shock of the invasion had worn off and now came anger for revenge and they were hemmed inside a small fort. How much longer would they be forced to stay inside while more and more of their world was falling apart?

The sentry on the roof had some company at least. Batgirl nursed her wounds while he kept a sharp eye on the horizon. A sharp red flash caught his eye and instinctually he called out:

"Incoming!"

The shell landed in the courtyard as people dived into the snow. Covering their ears and waiting for the blast, they did not see the scourge that was coming up the road towards them at an incredible pace.

"Mann the guns, men. Give them canister."

"There are humans with them" one of the Grays called out.

It was true. Humans were coming up in the open firing automatic weapons wildly in the air screaming at the top of their lungs. The sentry on the roof let loose a shot and dropped one but the very earth seemed to be spewing targets. They were coming right for them. As they came within range, the riflemen on the parapets opened up. Calvin and Hobbes were swept up in the mayhem. Scrounging through empty casings and boxes, they armed themselves with a pair of rifles a brace of pistols and a hand grenade that Hobbes carried in a haversack.

"What do we do?" Calvin asked as one of the cannons barked once more.

"Fire back" Hobbes put it simply then went over to the wall and began to take a steady bead. He let out a shot and then Calvin joined in. In his mind he thought of this as certainly not the heroic hand to hand battle he was hoping for. "Fire" the cannons erupted and the canister they spewed knocked down over a dozen of the enemy. In the darkness, the garrison could make out tiny flags being borne forward over the bodies of the fallen.

"Fire" the cannon recoiled backward.

Inch by inch they came closer till they were at the wall but they were unable to effect to climb with the rain of hot shot and shell and blazing rifles. Firing his weapon wildly, Calvin shouted and cursed their very name as the Gray beside him was struck in the head. He tumbled backward and cried in pain as a stretcher team carried him back inside. Wearing his red cape, Calvin was conspicuous as he fired from the wall, then Hobbes twirled about and howled in pain. He was struck in the shoulder by a ricochet. Though bleeding he kept his wits and fired his rifle several more times over as the enemy seemed to be only a few feet away. Holding firm under sheets of flame the enemy did not retire despite their heavy casualties. More and more were coming up and reaching the wall and the Grays tried to kill them with grenades. "We have them licked" one shouted, but that changed as the enemy fired back and gaps in the wall opened up. Here and there a Gray or an armed civilian would fall and into that void the enemy would go but were beaten back again and again. Each time a sortie was made more and more casualties on both sides were created till only three of Miller's boys were holding the northern sector. After a half hour fighting, they were spent. Out of ammunition they asked for orders, "That's it. Fall back" an officer said pulling Stupendous Man back by the scruff of his collar. "Go to the house." Calvin and Hobbes tumbled back from the works as the goons scaled it for the umpteenth time. They howled in delight at seeing the Greys running back to the house, but they did so grudgingly. Rifle fire continued to take its toll and an occasional grenade blast shredded the line. Firing her rifle from the roof with the sentry, Batgirl could see how hopeless the situation was, but down below, Miller ushered them into a second line just at the front door.

"Grenades" he ordered.

Pulling the pins and heaving them in a high arc the Grays bought a few precious seconds when they detonated and slain a few more of Garfield's minions.

"Kill them! Kill them! Burn the house down" an officer cursed as he looked at the fortress after scaling the outer perimeter. Brandishing torches the men moved their way forward but the house was now shut up as the last of the defenders fled inside and were firing through the slats in the windows. Here and there a goon would fall. Even ones that were hit several times, lost limbs, or were holed many times over and yet they still pressed on. After baring the door, Miller moved towards the roof to see how the whole situation unfolded. What he saw made his blood run cold. The entire front yard was moving with every inch covered with snowmen or humans with torches. The Grays fired still. There was no need to aim. Every shot seemed to run home.

"What now, Captain" spat Batgirl to Miller.

At that moment, a grenade exploded down below cutting a swath as big as a car only to watch it close up as quickly as it was made.

"I don't think we're going to make it out of this one, captain" the sentry said in a sad voice.

"I think you might be right" Miller replied.

"Burn it. Burn it" came the chant below, but no matter how hard they tried, the minions failed to get close enough to set the wood alight.

"That's a porcupine" one of the minions shouted.

"Then use their cannons. Blow down the door and charge in" one of the generals ordered after witnessing the stalled assault.

The order was obeyed, but only until it was discovered that the guns had been spiked and were of no further use except that several cartridges of black powder were left laying about nearby.

"Use them instead"

A jerry rig fuse and one of the two pound charges was hurled at the front door.

Seeing it in flight, a sergeant grabbed the closest person next to him and yelled, "Down! Everyone, down!"

A blinding flash of light and an intense concussion blast swept people off their feet. In the second it took to recover, there were goons coming through the front door. A shot gun blast felled the first one to come through, but there were more and more waiting for their chance to come through. At the same time, a volley crashed from the sharpshooters upstairs. The line outside staggered but came surging through. Humans and goons were mixed. The torches of the latter were actually melting their snow counter parts as they tried to set the house alight.

"There's still a chance to escape, but we'll have to fight our way out." Miller shouted above the din.

"How?" Batgirl shouted back.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes nor Batgirl. They are owned by Bill Watterson and Warner Brothers respectfully. I do own Captain Miller and his Grays. 

"They're in the house!" one of the sergeant screamed as he attempted to bar the door with his body. Slain intruders littered his feet and more of them were outside. Torches were now being thrown at him and at the windows in an attempt to set the house alight.

Fire coming from the Grays was extremely brisk and casualties were piling up but the enemy could seem to afford such losses. More and more were coming over the now vacant walls and converging on the house from all directions.

Another powder bag came through a window with it's fuse sputtering. "Upstairs, go!" the same sergeant ordered. By the time anyone could obey the bag was touched off and destroyed the living room where it landed wounding or killing everyone in there. The first floor seemed lost. Those left alive began to make a run towards the stairs, firing as they went.

Sensing their impending victory goons and humans alike surged inside.

"Burn it! Burn it!" officers demanded. Fires began to kindle as the enemy came up the stairs only to see the silhouette of two people standing on the top step.

"End of the line!" Hobbes called out as he lashed with his claws at the first man to come up with a bayonet fixed at his throat.

"Eat this!" Calvin added by throwing a cabinet down the flight of stairs knocking down a score of men and goons. That bought some time but more pushed their way through and began to hurl grenades up at them.

"Run!" Hobbes shouted as he shoved his friend into the doorway of a room where sharpshooters had sought shelter as a string of explosives went off.

"Augh!" he cried out in pain. Hobbes was knocked on his back, his chest riddled with shrapnel. Hurriedly Calvin came to the side of his wounded friend.

"I can't see!" Hobbes cried.

"Can you stand?" Calvin asked.

He struggled but he could not.

"Leave me!"

"What? Never"

"If you don't they were get you"

"I don't care. I won't leave you"

"Go or I'll tell everyone about the noodle incident"

"You swore you would never tell!"

"I will if you don't go!"

Shoving his friend away Hobbes struggled and sat himself up just as another grenade landed on his lap. Hurriedly he threw it back down the stairs but humans ascended with bayonets thrust forward. "You'll never take me alive" he growled at them. Calvin watched in horror as his friend was impaled again and again. With great pain Calvin shut the door. Inside the room the Grays were climbing out a window onto the roof where it looked like there was sanctuary. Those that were left were forced to defend for themselves. Carrying in bags of powder and grenades the humans began to blast out the rooms of the house. On the roof things were just as grim. Ammunition was running out and there was a fire coming from one of the demolished rooms.

"Have any plans, captain?" Batgirl called out.

Miller helped up Calvin onto the roof and ignored the comment. Calvin was the last one to come up and destroyed the ladder to prevent anyone else from coming up. An explosion rattled them it came from below. Another room where the defenders had to be rooted out.

"It looks like it's just us, captain" the sentry called out.

There was just a dozen people left.

"We won't survive this" one of the Grays called out. Miller and Batgirl knew this to be true. The fire was spreading and the crowd below was now firing up at them. It was becoming tenable. It was useless to resist any further. With his company destroyed the captain was forced to make a difficult choice. Should he surrender or go down in a blaze of glory?

Before he could come up with an answer the roof collapsed sending the entire complement down into the depths of a grim deaths.

"We did it!" soldiers cried out. "Let them burn!"

The house collapsed onto itself snuffing out the fire but also doomed those that were alive.

"Kill all those that are left. Use the bayonet!" Garfield commanded. The order was passed down through the ranks. Any bodies that were found were run through again and again. Only then were they accumliated in the center of the plaza where fire wood and gasoline was being thrown together to make a funeral pyre.

"I found one alive!" one of the soldiers called out. A group immediately gathered around as the body was dragged out from underneath the wreckage.

"It's a captain! Bring him to Garfield!"

Dragged by his arms across the freezing snow Captain Miller, what was left of him, was brought before the Great Garfield on his throne. His tattered uniform and charred skin he was nothing of the leader he was before. He knew fully well that nothing would be left of him home and his way of life.

"What is your name?" Garfield asked.

"Screw you!" Miller spat.

"That's not the conduct of a gentlemen."

At that moment there was a murmur of activity coming from the remains of the house.

"We found another alive!"

"Kill him!"

"No, take it to Garfield" an officer ordered but not before he had to fend off a wave of potential attackers that craved to run the body through with their bayonets. "This one will be taken alive!"

Goons roamed away from the heat of the fire. Wounded were healed with their magical power of snow and ice. But, for the humans it was grim. Bodies were strewn all around what was left of the fort. On the redoubts where bitter hand to hand fighting had occurred the silent stood as a silent visual to how desperate the fighting was. Men were still holding tightly in their grasp weapons or bare fists.

Officer had to pull men away from the barbaric ritual of rooting through pockets of the dead to gather up the wounded and bury their own. There were dozens if not hundreds of corpses. The field was blanketed by them. Such a bleak day.

As the body was brought before Garfield the leader sat back and reclined. ⌠Is this the great Calvin that I have heard so much about?■

"Do I look like a guy?"

Miller immediately looked to his right and saw through the blood in his eyes that it was Batgirl.

"Where's Calvin?" Miller asked when she was brought before the orange leader.

"I lost him" she whispered.

"Take these two to a truck and give them our hospitality" Garfield ordered.

Grabbed by their captors and dragged through the slush on the street the two, burned and scared, were placed on the back of a converted pickup truck. Along the way they saw the wounded, that of the enemy, being taken to a hastily made aid station in one of the neighboring houses. It was a grizzly scene. Carried on stretchers the wounded pleaded for their mothers after watching the less fortunate having their feet amputated.

"Think we stung them?" Batgirl said.

"I think they felt us" Miller concurred as the truck lurched forward. Several other armed vehicles joined them and the caravan made it's way out of the neighborhood. It was a slow crawl with the streets caked in a thick layer of ice drivers took their time. Turning right on the main road that would take them back to the city the victorious "army" could be seen at their worse. Houses were being looted. Prisoners of all types were being herded into makeshift pens. Goons were being made by the hundreds on the sides of the road. All of them answer to one leader.

"What do you think they will do to us?" Batgirl asked.

"Not sure," Miller replied bluntly, "But I can beat it will not be pleasent

Hearing those words Batgirl looked up at one of the guards whom was looking back down at her. His weapon was polished and he wore finely fitted winter clothes and he was eyeballing her.

For half an hour the convoy humped through the suburbs. Nearing an intersection they came to a stop.

"Which way?" the driver asked his companion.

"Turn left" he pointed.

Turning that way there came a sharp crack and the vehicle began veer sharply into a ditch. Alarmed the companion looked over to see the driver's head collapsed onto the steering wheel. "Damn!" shoving him aside he tried to gain control of the wheel, but it was already too late. The Truck plowed into a ditch. Thrown into the back of the cab the two prisoners were dumbfounded.

Sniper!

Another crack and the windshield was punctured and the co driver collapsed dead.

"Damn it! Get out!" guards shoved their way out of the back and jumped to the ground only to be swept up by a storm of lead.

"We're surrounded!" they cried out in horror. Batgirl covered herself as bullets pierced the cab.

"They're shooting at US!" she screamed to Miller whom remained unafraid, calm.

Within mere moments, it was over. A heavy silence fell over the land. Looking up, Batgirl found that the cab had been punctured several times two of the trucks were aflame.

"What happened?" she asked as she tried to free herself of the cuffs that bound her wrists.

"You really thought we were alone out here?" Miller said as he righted himself. His wounds were serious and they appeared to be growing worse. Blood smeared the metal housing around them. The bounds were zip ties, plastic, easy to break. Pulling a bayonet from the body of a dead guard Batgirl cut her ties and found her utility belt. Once that was done she went back for Captain Miller.

"How bad is it?"

"I can see Heaven's gates," he smiled.

"Don't go there!" she warned, "You're not done here, yet"

Taking an arm over her shoulder the two exited the back of the bullet riddled truck to a scene of utter destruction. The entire convoy had been destroyed. Guards were dead where they stood. Most never had a chance to exit their vehicles or fire back at their tormentors.

"Who did this?" she asked.

"Some friends"

Several armed men appeared on the sides of the road coming towards them cautiously. Apprehensive they dropped down behind one of the wrecked trucks. "Who are they?" she asked.

"They are friends of mine"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

To prove his point, the captain staggered to his feet and rose above the wreckage. Seeing him the figures trained their weapons and approached rapidly. ⌠Hands up!■ they ordered.

"I'm Captain Miller" he told them.

Realizing this only then did they relax.

When they appeared closer did they realize whom they were. Most were clad in civilian attire. Immediately they began to pick of the weapons from the dead. Young and old, women and men, all were here picking through the wreckage.

"Captain Miller?" a voice called out.

Looking over his shoulder a tall, thin man came up his face smeared with black and green grease paint.

"Thought that was you" the man smiled. Looking down he saw Batgirl.

"Whose the chick?"

"The name's Batgirl" she hissed.

"She's with me" Miller interjected.

"Damn glad to see you. We heard aweful things coming from town."

"My company...my company is gone"

A moment of silence came the man looked at the disheveled captain and patted him on the shoulder, "Sorry, Miller, we should have come sooner"

"And just who are you?" Batgirl demanded.

"Captain Simmons of the 2nd Militia" the man responded.

"2nd Militia? How many militias are there of you?" she yelled in anger.

"Relax, we're here to take you to safety"

"Well, it took you long enough. Where the hell have you been? We've been held up in a godforsaken house attacked by goons and machine gun totting nuts. Not only that, we had to be smoked out and a building collapsed on us, not only that..."

"Easy" said Miller placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

She was very upset. This new group of militia would have made a difference in the battle but they were retarded in their advance. Many excused with only one conclusion the complete destruction of the Greys. A medic came up and placed the captain on a stretcher. With Batgirl's help they carried him to the back of a waiting ambulance where his charred uniform was cut off exsposing his burnt flesh that gave off an obnoxious odor. Whew. Her cap was burned as well and full of holes. It was a close call for Batgirl, one of many she had faced thus far but this time it was the worst. The ambulance lurched forward.

"Want me to look at you?" the medic asked Batgirl.

"No, thanks, i'll be getting off here soon" she replied.

"Are you sure? Those burns looks serious" he said.

"That's alright. I've dealt with much worse than this"

Half an hour of bouncing around in the back of the vehicle and that was enough for her. A bag of I.V was pumping into his veins in conjunction with an injection of morphine made him feel no pain at all. The truck came to a sudden stop and the medic stepped out as well as the driver. Where were they? Coming out herself they were in the city at a hastily made aid station for the militia. They were in the midst of evacuating themselves. People were moving to and thro with stretchers of wounded men and women. What a scene. It was something out of a horror movie. Smoking was rising from demolished buildings and fires were raging out of control in others.

"I'm going" she said to Miller.

"To where?" he managed to sit up to say.

"I'm going to find that fat cat. You go ahead and go with these guys to the camps. I'll see you there"

Miller nodded his approval reluctantly.

"See you, Miller"

"Dwayne, it's Dwayne" he smiled.

"Barbara" she smiled back.

"Don't be gone long, Barbara"


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes nor Batgirl. They are owned by Bill Watterson and Warner Brothers. I own Miller and his followers.

Simmons ushered the vehicles into the motor pool. Miller was helped out. There was a hospital that was treating other sick and wounded. Doctors were being overworked and subsisted on sips of bourbon in order to stay awake. There seemed to be no end to this. While sitting on a blood slick chair Simmons comforted Miller, "We should have been faster". That was all he could say to the captain. With Batgirl out and wondering about Miller and Calvin and Hobbes were missing there was little hope in his heart, but he still clung to the belief, in the furthest part of his mind that they were still alive.

Where was Calvin?

That little boy disappeared. He was still on Earth...per say...but not buried in the rubble that was once a house, but up in the air soaring high like an eagle.

"How did...?" he thought as he gained altitude. "This is cool". As he went higher the temperature dropped and he began to shiver. "Right, it's colder the higher you go," he learned something from science class after all. He flew in a northern direction, or so he guessed. His frame of mind switched to that of his dear friend, Hobbes and how he suffered a death worst than anyone could have imagined. Run through several times with glistening bayonets but he did not complain or shy away, not the tiger, he went down with honor, with dignity.

Stupendous Man continued his flight while down on terra firma Simmons and Miller were exchanging notes about the latest attacks.

"There are humans with them. So, we must keep a close eye on everyone from now on. There could be a sabotuer in our midst," Miller said.

"Who would turn against us?" Simmons asked.

"I'm not sure, but anyone can be. Keep an eye on your people" Miller said firmly.

No one could hear what they were saying.

"We have three hundred. That's it. We cannot stand up to an army of thousands" Simmons said as he looked at the formations marching past.

"We can't stand up to them."

At that moment, there was a whistle in the air. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up for from the heavens came a figure with a dashing red cape snapping in the breeve the body created as it flew. What was it? A bird? A plane? No, it was Stupendous Man!

"Yes, we can" Calvin yelled as his feet hit the ground. "We have stood up to the goons before and we can do so again". Immediately, a crowd gathered around the tiny figure in the snow. Who was this boy? "I'm Calvin" he remarked, "and we've dealt with these goons before, and we can beat them".

Someone in the crowd added, "But they have cats and humans as well. How do you suggest we deal with them?"

"We give them the cold steel. I have faced them..._we_ have faced them. They're only snow, but we can handle that." He looked into Simmons' men eyes and saw that they were scared. They were not the Miller's men, the brave, but they were all that they had, "I'm going to that fortress of Garfield. You all can stay here and shiver in the cold, but I'm going to warm my butt in Garfield's fire place or I'll see you in hell".

A cry went up and it grew louder and louder as more and more followers took up the chant, "Lead us! Lead us!"

From out of the cold came the followers. Their bodies pumped with adrenalin. Taking up their weapons they loaded onboard their vehicles as Stupendous Man took to the skies to lead them. It was a long drive towards the Grey's fortress and when they arrived found it a smoldering wreck. There was no one there, but tracks were found, a swath of snow carved by the mass of vehicles and foot steps.

"They're heading south" Calvin pointed out as his telescopic sight adjusted and saw the flicker of lights from the last vehicle going towards the fortress. Sitting in the passenger seat propped up by sheer will was Miller. His company was gone. That was all he could think about. As they filed past the once venerable fortress they, Simmons followers, the blood stains of a great battle. Where the aid station was situation there was a pile of amputated limbs that stacked up to three feet high. A grizzly scene. "You see that?" Miller muttered as he coughed up blood between his lips, "We gave them a good fight. My men did not die for nothing". The convoy continued. Leading the way was Stupendous Man acted as the lead scout. It was a long drive towards the fortress that towered over the town. Seeing it for the first time the green men of Simmons quivered. "Don't let it shake you" Simmons calmed them, "fortifications are the side effect of scared soldiers". It did not have the effect that he desired, but the men kept marching. Gulping down melted snow as they went along the men were hungry and resorted to extreme means to fill the void in their stomachs. There was a farm house a little out of the ways of the main road. It had a large garden and a barn and immediately the thought of savory beefsteaks was too much for them to stand. Groups broke ranks and charged the house, rooted through the garden, and pillaged the barn. What they found disappointed them. There was nothing left but crumbs. Garfield, and his appitite, had taken everything. The family that was left was broke and starving, but the volunteers could do nothing to help them but to march on. As they filed past a little red head girl waved as them and politely they waved back. "Go get them" she said with pride, "We will" came the response.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes, nor The Batman, nor Kim Possible. They are owned by Bill Watterson, Warner Brothers, and Disney respectfully.

The convoy came to a stop. Stupendous Man came down next to Simmons' jeep to confer with his captain over the next course of action.

"There is a town just ahead" said the blonde haired captain, "I sent a recon team ahead of us to see if the enemy holds it. Beyond that is a long maze of farmlands then there's Garfield's citadel. It was once a town and he turned it into a fortress."

"I'll continue on by myself" he said firmly, "I want Garfield for myself" slamming his fist into the palm of the other with might.

"Every well. We'll provide the distraction" said Simmons.

Nodding in approval Stupendous Man leapt into the air and disappeared in the sky leaving Simmons and his three hundred followers left to wonder how they were going to take the town.

"Sir, enemy tanks sighted." came a call over the radio. It was from his recon team that he had sent to infiltrate the town to test the enemy strength.

"How many?" he asked speaking into his microphone.

"I count twenty, but no infantry support"

"How far out?"

"Just five miles. But the town appears to be abandoned. We're in the town square and we haven't seen a soul."

"We'll have to you Molotov cocktails" Simmons ordered. Immediately the houses were ransacked for bottles and petrol to make the violent concoction. While this was being done the rifle men were shooting our the tanks periscopes or trying to drop grenades into open hatches. One tank was disabled and blocked the avenue of approach and the column came to a stop then they began to panic or lose cohesion. For some unknown reason half the column went into reverse and began to make tracks back towards the citadel while the middle and lead section went forward, using access roads to go around the wreckage. It was just long enough for the Molotov cocktails to be brought up and soon it rained fire.

Buttoned up in their vehicles the tank crews pressed on. When one had it's engine knocked out by a Molotov the crew tried to bail out only to be swept up by machine gun fire. At last the first three tanks of the once proud and strong armored column made it to the opposite end of town, sadly, they were the only ones that would make it. The intense fire coming at them the column splintered as commanders sought a safe haven either in the ruins of town or try and make a break back towards the fortress.

"It's no good" cried one commander over the radio, "they are dropping fire balls on us from the roof tops and we can't fire back at them." Some resourceful tanks pumped shells into houses that harbored their tormentors or plowed into them using their fifty ton frames as battering rams. Simmons saw three tanks approaching him rapidly. All he had at his disposal was five cocktails and a wounded Captain Miller. The rest of his staff were off at different duties or would not come to assist their beleguard commander. Whatever the case the hot head went behind the wheel of his jeep and rapidly closed the gap. Miller steeled himself for a possible death by lighting the wick of one cocktail and when the vehicle came to a stop less than thirty yards from the lead tank threw it with all of his might. His aim was true and the bomb splattered all over the driver's view slit and blinded him with fire and smoke.

"Keep going forward" the commander ordered, but the driver could not do so on a slick and narrow road and instead threw it into reverse and collided with the tank to the rear. Seeing their enemy in a brief state of confusion the two captains leapt out of their vehicle and charge with more cocktails. Despite his painful wounds Miller clambered onboard the lead tank and pried the commander's hatch open with his hands and dropped in a grenade. He could hear the cries of the crew as they saw the bomb land on their laps and to hear them cut abruptly short sent a cold chill up his spine. Meanwhile, Simmons jumped on the second tank and tried to follow the foot steps of his brave counterpart, but before he could open the hatch a burst of machine gun fire from the third tank slapped the dome turret and wounded the captain in the hip. In great pain he summoned the might to up right himself and drop a cocktail onto the ventilation vents over the tank's engine compartment. Satisfied that the liquid fire would do it's job the youthful captain jumped down and ran followed closely by Miller whom limped when he twisted his ankle as he jumped down from the tank.

"You alright, captain?" Simmons called out.

"Yeah, I just earned another Purple Heart" Miller retorted.

As the two leaders hustled away to a place of safety their followers were having a wild ride. Five tanks were burning in the two square and the formation they faced was in a shambles. There was no one leader, it seems, everyone vied for control and tried to make a escape from a rapidly dwindling situation. Hearing the radio waves Garfield felt his already plagued heart seize up as they asked for assistance, for orders, or for their mothers as they were cooked in their steel coffins. "Pull them back" he ordered hesitantly, "Get them back here". His orders filtered through their radios and was obeyed instantly. In less than half an hour of fighting the town was in the hands of Simmons and his followers and what he had to show for that were seven smoldering wrecks that were once tanks that were sprinkled throughout the alley and road ways it's crews killed as they tried to abandon their vehicles and left dangling from their open hatches.

Simmons and Miller approached their jeep and sat down for a rest. Tired as they were there was still much work for the two captains to do. The town needed to be combed through for any sign of life both friendly and not and then they had to continue their march towards Garfield's citadel that lay only twenty miles further down the road. Fortunate for them there were no more towns in their way, just a long winding roadway that was flanked with farmlands and stitched with deep irrigation ditches.

Simmons reached into a bag he had behind his seat and produced a bottle of champagne. Popping the cork he took a swig then handed it over to his friend whom said, "I prefer to wait until this is all over before celebrating."

As the troops invested the town they found that Garfield's army had ransacked the populous, stealing anything that wasn't nailed down, but what they forgot may have been more valuable had they did so. In a jail cell they came across two dehydrated and malnourished individuals.

A blonde haired boy lay on a cot with a naked mole rat sitting on his chest. Next to him, holding his hand was a red haired girl with tears in her eyes. When the soldiers came in she called out to them, "Are you hear to kill us?"

"No, ma'am" said a sergeant, "We're here to set you free."

Blowing apart the lock medics were brought in and gave the boy an IV drip to replenish his weak system and rushed him to the outside where an ambulance was waiting to take him and others to a hasty erected aid station on the outskirts of town. There was no room in the vehicle to take the girl, instead, she walked with the squad that found her towards Simmons' command post that was in place in a partially destroyed church. The blonde haired blue eye captain spied the younger girl enter with her baggy khaki pants and black shirt that went all the way to the elbows. He sat down in a cheap chair to rest his weary legs and asked, "Who are you?"

"Kim Possible" she introduced with blood coming from a cut on her lip. In her hand was the naked mole rat, who was a mere skeleton of it's former self. She introduced him as "Rufus".

"Sir, we found them in a jail cell. They left them there to die" said the sergeant.

"Yes" Kim concurred, "They took everything with them, loot, weapons, anything they could, but they forgot about us. There was another couple in the cell next to us. A man came and took them out of their cell and we never saw them again." tears began to form in her green eyes and pour down her cheeks.

"Easy, young lady" assured Simmons, "You're safe now. Take a seat" he offered a similar chair to her, but she was reluctant to take it. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Captain Simmons. We're a militia group. We're here to stop Garfield"

"It won't make any difference" she said.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes, nor The Batman, nor Kim Possible. They are owned by Bill Watterson, Warner Brothers, and Disney respectfully.

"Take the machine guns from the tanks and mount them on the jeeps" said Captain Simmons as he dismounted from his vehicle and walked towards the damaged, but still up right, courthouse. Inside there was a Kim Possible and a famished Ron Stoppable with their naked mole rat.

"What will happen to us now?" Kim asked as she brought her cup of warm broth down from her lips.

"Which ever you wish" Simmons said as he sat down beside her. His uniform, green with specks of black spots was not the most becoming but it served it's purpose. He removed his steel helmet and rubbed his hair, "we need all the available man power we can for the tasks that lay before us"

"I can't leave him" she said, touching the hand of Ron Stoppable.

"I understand. I'll leave a medic to tend to him, but we'll be leaving here and heading off to deal with the enemy." Finished, he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Captain," said Kim, that made him stop and look back, "I hope you catch him." he smiled, dawned his helmet and walked out. At his jeep men were at work. They had found a length of pipe and were mounting a machine gun. Captain Miller sat in the passenger seat, trying to relax, drinking from a canteen.

"How are they doing?" he asked, meaning the boy and girl.

"Hungry but they will survive." replied Simmons.

"Good. We liberated the town and we're on the doorsteps of the enemy."

"I'll say. Take a look at this" he pulled from his breast pocket a folded map. Unfolding it on the hood of the jeep he said, "I picked this up from a dead officer not too long ago. "This details the lay out of the enemy at their citadel up the hill. They have but a handful of tanks and a few hundred men."

"But they still out number us" said Miller

At that moment Lieutenant J.J. McMahon, a thin man with firery red hair and a temper to boot approached. He was a leader of a platoon of scouts just back from a venture up the road.

"Sir, Garfield's citadel is over three acres big and has over five hundred men and a thousand goons defending it. We will not stand a chance against them" said the lieutenant.

"No, but if we strike now, while we are off balance, we can knock them out of the fight, at least for a little while" the captain smiled.

Nodding in agreement the lieutenant walked away from the jeep down the line of vehicles towards the rear.

"Simmons," said a worn out Miller" Garfield still has tanks. How do you expect to handle them?"

"We have Molotovs" replied the wounded but still game captain.

"That won't do much good unless we can get close. The citadel sits on open ground. They have the advantage. Use the jeeps, do drive bys"

"Are you daft?" laughed Simmons "That something from Los Angeles"

"That maybe, but I believe it will work" Miller replied as he reclined in his seat and rested his twisted ankle on the bonnet on the hood of the jeep. In the back of the jeep was a mounted thirty caliber machine gun, newly implemented to handle the waves of snow goons.

"You have much faith in my men?" asked Simmons as he approached and sat in the driver seat.

"I do." he responded, "we have the tide of war in our favor. We have great allies and the right tools. If we use them right we can win this swiftly."

Looking at the Captain Simmons wondered. Neither of them had time to shave in the days since starting this campaign. They were tired, as were the rest of the men, but they were in high spirits. They had conquered a town and turned back an armored assault now they were on the door steps on Garfield's home. This war was nearly over. Hungry, worn out, deshoveled in appearence, filthy, but high in spirits, the militia went on, up the road towards the home of the great tyrant.

"This can't be" roared Garfield "they are coming here?"

"Yes, sir" said the cowardly orderly.

"They must be stopped. I lost the town, I lost tanks, and I'm about to lose the goons. I won't lose the war. I want everyone that is capable of bearing a weapon to be on the line right now. Get all the ammunition available up here. Every man, cat or not, on the line within the hour."

Nodding the orderly ran out of the room leaving the leader to stare out the window at the setting sun towards the west. He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This is nearly over."

Down below the goons were breeding, building up their depleted their numbers. They were massive in stature, tree trunks for arms, and firery coals for eyes. "I will throw in my reserves as soon as they engaging the main body. They will overwhelm them like they have done before" he thought.

"When will they come?" he wondered. "Dusk" that would be the best time."

"When will we attack?" Miller asked.

"Dusk" said Simmons. "By then the men will have eaten and the jeeps will have their machine guns to handle the waves of goons."

Nodding Miller capped his canteen and massaged his twisted ankle. It was sore, couldn't walk on it. He didn't complain. As he tried to relax an orderly came with a kit, a bowl of hot soup.

"Thank you" he said taking the precious piece. There was no silverware, he would have to sip it. He took a nip and tasted chicken and broth. It was warming for the soul.

Just a few miles down the road the last of the tanks were coming up. "Sir, we have but six tanks left. The rest we were forced to destroy on our way back up here" said Tank Division commander Kat Oriskany as he pleaded with Garfield. "Sir, we must withdrawal."

"No," the orange tabby roared, "we will make our stand here. I will rather die than accept defeat"

He would have his wish for down the road came the winding column of Simmons' command.

"Are you serious about a Molotov drive by?" Simmons asked a quiet Captain Miller.

"I'm confident it will work" the captain responded with a smirk.

Throngs of people were choking their way into the citadel. They, like so many, were searching for a place of sanctuary. There was a horrid hurry when a sentry cried, "Here they come!"

From down the road came the winding column of Simmons' men. Men were standing erect on their jeeps, weapons at the ready. Seeing the towering building before them the recon element under MacMahon gunned their engines and charged towards the gates. The guards did not bother to try and stop them. Instead, they fled into the growing darkness. Crashing through the gate the three recon vehicles charged towards the idle tanks of Oriskany's command and began to light the wicks of their Molotovs. Hurling them at the engine compartments and the driver's periscopes they cast the last elements of the armored might alight.

"The way is clear" McMahon screamed into his radio, "Charge!"

With that the men leapt at it.

The citadel was choked full of soldiers. Some were wounded, others sought to seek a place of refuge, others were cowarding and trying to find a place to flee. As Simmon's and his men came up there was a spattering of fire coming from the machine gun nests that dotted the defenses. It was responded by a tidal wave of automatic fire from the hands of the militia.

Still nursing an open wound the captain urged his men on. Goons formed up in the open and charged towards the humans whom refuged to back down. They tackled the beasts and bashed in their brains in bitter hand to hand combat. Garfield could feel his heart enter his heart enter his throat as he saw what was playing out before him. The goons were being brushed aside like chaff to the wind.

An aide came to his side, "Sir, we have more goons ready to be committed on your order"

"Send them into the slaughter" he said in his low tone.

From around the citadel came a wave of goons of all imaginable proportions. Seeing them coming their way Simmons and Miller were waiting for them.

"Let them have it!" they commanded. The jeeps opened up with their top sided machine guns and blew through them like beams of light through the darkness.

"Come get some" cursed the gunners as they fed the bullets into their guns. Hundreds fell but more kept coming. Simmon's group continued to push their way through the line. Private Richard Kruger carried with him a small banner of the American nation. He carried it folded up in his breast pocket. When he spied the citadel he wanted nothing more than to plant the flag on the roof the building as a trophy of their victory. As he and his squad battled the goons in fierce hand to hand combat, where the bayonet and the fist reigned supreme, the humans gained the edge when the cut through the formation and continued to surge towards Garfield's head quarters.

"Stop them" the fat tabby cursed.

Simmon's men hurled grenades and ran after them. As the exploded they mounted the sandbags of the machine gun nests and sprayed the interiors with automatic fire. It was a massacre. Garfield's soldiers turned yellow and threw down their weapons and instead fled towards the relative sactuary of the basement or towards the rear of the headquarters. Others threw up their hands in surrender. "Don't shoot, we surrender" they said both cat and human alike. The goons were the only ones that did not seem to want to give up the fight. The reserves were committed but Simmons threw his last dice and rolled a seven. His jeeps, with their machine guns, kept them at bay. It was a far cry from the third battle of the Alamo where they were fighting with stone and catapults. It was a time for revenge. Miller wanted it back for his lost company. Simmons wanted it back for all the debredations that Garfield had caused, and for the common soldier they all had their personal agenda.

"Kill them all" said Captain Simmons as he watched his men charge across the open field towards the citadel and mount the steps. Up they went, hurling grenades and spraying the once illustrious building with lead. The columns were pock marked with dents from their fire. Priceless paintings were destroyed when Molotov cocktails were ignited and caused a fire to start, but Simmon's men went right on to it. Through the congressional hall they went, battling through strings of stagglers, stalwarts whom refused to surrender and fighting up the gold plated staircase towards Garfield's main office and roof top. Leading the way was Richard Kruger, his flag now in hand. What he needed was a flag pole to let the flag of the country to fly from. A length of pipe lay on the floor. He scooped it up and found a staircase that led towards the roof. As he went up he tied the small flag to the pipe and, after kicking down the door that barred him entrance, he was on the roof and gallantly waved the banner for all to see. On the highest peak he stabbed the pipe into the ground and cheered. Down below the men dawft their hats and let out a cry, they had won. All that was left was to find the leader, Garfield. He was somewhere in the wreckage.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes, nor The Batman, nor Kim Possible. They are owned by Bill Watterson, Warner Brothers, and Disney respectfully.

Watching from above the smoldering wreckage was one Stupendous Man. Using his incredible sight he was able to zoom in on a tiny speck slivering from the foundation that was once his citadel where the Greys and goons were still fighting it out. Now was his chance to prove himself. Summing up his strength he drew a deep breath and aimed for the deck in a deep dive. The air whipped past his face, it was hard to breath. Just feet off of the ground he pulled up and landed on his feet. Just a few feet away, with his back to him, running away towards an awaiting armored car.

"Halt there, Garfield" Stupendous Man he commanded the orange tabby to.

Garfield stopped cold in his tracks and turned to look over his shoulder to see the capped avenger, "You!" cursed his foe, "You...who are you?"

"I'm Stupendous Man!" flexing his biceps, "do-righter, girl catcher, and...." he began to trail off.

"And what?"

"Give me a second" trying to think of a third word to add to the sentence.

"Look, kid, I don't have time for your tom foolery. Just get out of my way or I'll run you down."

"Not this time, fatso. You're not going to escape this time" Stupendous Man said with unbuckled brow and a evil smirk on his lips.

"Try and stop me"

The two squared off. Both spread their feet apart to even out their weight. "You fool. I know the art of the sumo" smirked the fat cat as he raised his left leg and slammed it into the ground hard then did so again with his right.

"That may be, but I still know how to..." before he could finish that sentence Garfield charged like a locomotive. Gaining momentum easily with his giantic size he barreled straight towards the pint size adversary whom, at the last minute, duck out of the way by throwing himself to the ground to the right.

Coming to a stop Garfield turned and laughed, "Ha, you see, child, I can best you in anything. Give up now while you still have the chance and you will serve as my court jester."

"Never!" jeered Stupendous Man.

Gaining a full head of steam the cat charged again. What was there for Stupenous Man to do but stay out of it's way and try not to be hit by the flying brick wall. It sounds easy but all this dodging would quickly wear him down.

He came by again and again, three and four times more charging and hitting nothing but air, but scaring Stupendous Man down to his foundation and causing him to think. How was he going to deal with this emence ball of energy. There seem to be no weakness in his armor. One last charge and he missed, Calvin dodged the bullet once more but he noticed that Garfield was sweating and panting, he was being depleted. Perhaps there was a kink in his armor somewhere.

"Come on, and fight me like a man" Stupendous Man yelled with raised fists.

"You really wish to fight me?" sneered Garfield as he walked up, brushing his brow of sweat.

"Yes, I do, now fight me"

The two locked fists, it was a test of energy, for what was left of it. All that jumping and running around had drastically depleted the reservves of both sides, but they were unwilling to give up even though Garfield insisted on his opponent on doing so.

"Give it up, son, I have you"

"On the contrary, I have you" he smiled and as he said that he grabbed with both hands Calvin stepped in and conducted a hip toss that threw his opponent whom hit the ground hard but he quickly scrambled to his feet and lashed out his claws. Garfield tore left and right he was trying to fight his way towards the awaiting car that would lead to his salvation, but the driver would not wait for long. The fiesty cat lashed out with all his fury, but the scrappy child was much too quick for him for he was able to dodge each cut that was dealt.

"I'll get you" cursed Garfield as he cut, but no matter how fast he was Calvin was alway faster.

Garfield kept slashing, up and down, horizontal and diagonal, but all amounted to nothing, then he made the one fatal mistake of lashing out with his claw and missed and to his horror the arm continued and the claws began imbedded in the ground. "No!" he cursed and began to struggle to remove it but Stupendous Man was not about to wait. In a instant he looked up and one solid punch across the jaw and he was down. Ow! Calvin winced in pain holding his right hand but the blow had been dealt Garfield was down, his breath laboring, limbs lightly twitching. All that was left was one last finishing blow. Scooping up the cat in his arms Stupenous Man took off like a rocket towards the sky with a cat that was slowly regaining conscienceness and figuring out where it was, it was fiesty and wiggling, veiding to be set free.

"Put me down!"

"As you wish" he smiled. Without a moments hesitation he opened up his arms and like a bomb bay of a B-17 they spread open and out came the bomb, a round orange matzo ball.

"Oh no!" Garfield screamed as he fell arms flailing around wildly like a young chick learning how to fly. He fell like a ton of brick. After a few seconds there was a distinct thud that Stupendous Man could hear all the way up in the sky.

"That should do it" he said to himself.

Coming down he noted that there was a small crater where the fat cat landed and there, huddled in a ball was he, shivering, defeated. Walking up to him Calvin stood over his prone opponent "You're defeated, Garfield, face it".

"This is far from over, you little cretin" he hissed between his teeth.

"It's over"

Several Greys came charging up with their weapons drawn. "You did it!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, "You captured the fat bastard".

"Take this fatso away" said Stupendous Man as he turned away and walked across the debris strewn landscape. The Greys picked up him and placed handcuffs across his wrists. He was a prisoner. His army was a shattered remnant of it's former self. Followers were deserting in droves and the goons were being destroyed by the score. There seem to be no stopping the juggernaut that was the Grays.

As he was being led towards an awaiting armored car one of the Grays asked him about the control center for the goons.

"I don't know where the control center is" he spat.

"I don't believe you" the Gray retorted, "I know you. Where is the control center."

"Why don't you ask Derkins. She knows" a wild smirk came across his face underneath his large oval shaped eyes.

"Derkins? Who is Derkins?" the Gray was perplexed then a figure emerged from the smoke. A tall, slender figure with white paws and a orange coat. "I think he means Susie Derkins" he said as he approached the prisoner.

"Who is Susie Derkins?" the same Gray asked the tiger.

"She is suppose to be a friend. Don't worry, we will handle it. The Gray nodded and with his friend took their prisoner towards the awaiting armored car.

"You think it was I who came up with all this? You think it was me? It was all Derkin's idea." wailed the maniac cat.

After a few minutes Hobbes caught up with Calvin whom was sitting on a large foundation of what was a drug store hands holding up his head, tired, sad.

"I heard what you did" smiled Hobbes as he cleared out a place for him to sit down next to his friend, "Quite an amazing achievement."

"Thanks" moaned his capped friend, "I still can't believe I won a fight against a cat"

"Let me guess, he fought dirty, didn't he?"

"Dirtier than a mud puddle in a rain storm"

A tense moment of silence hovered over the two, Hobbes turned to his friend and placed a paw on his shoulder, what he was about to say was difficult, "Garfield confessed that Susie may be responsible for the goons"

"Susie? Could it be that Susie is responsible for all of this?" looked up and faced his furry companion.

"I don't know" surmised Calvin, "But whatever the case, we need to tell Captain Miller right away"

Together they pushed through the throng of people, refugees, prisoners, and Greys trying to find their friend. The question on their mind is "Will they make it in time?"


End file.
